Electric pickup trucks are cool, but they also aren’t for everyone. Long-distance towing often demands a combustion-powered truck, and most battery electric vehicles are still expensive. However, solely gasoline-powered trucks aren’t ideal for suburban use cases, with all the short trips and inefficiencies. Thankfully, there’s a Goldilocks option. We at The Autopian are huge fans of plug-in hybrids, and a small truck seems like the ideal application. Well, one automaker’s been listening because Europeans are about to gain a truck with a seriously pragmatic powertrain: The 2025 Ford Ranger Plug-In Hybrid. Ford beating Toyota to the plug-in hybrid truck punch. Who’d have thought?
Starting with the tried-and-true 2.3-liter Ecoboost turbocharged four-cylinder engine, Ford’s added a full plug-in hybrid system to maximize economy without seriously impacting towing. See, battery electric vehicles are hugely efficient, which is a gift and a curse. On the plus side, we’re able to pull fairly astonishing range and energy efficiency out of today’s EVs. On the minus side, their energy consumption is extremely sensitive. Inefficient driving like towing or high-speed cruising can cut range by a noticeable amount. Gasoline-powered vehicles are relatively inefficient, with thermal losses greater than 50 percent, so towing doesn’t affect fuel consumption nearly as drastically. For those who use their truck for both commuting and heavy hobbies, electric power around town and combustion capability for towing just makes sense.
Further details on the plug-in hybrid powertrain are scarce, but Ford’s press release claims the use of a single electric motor, and that the Ranger Plug-In Hybrid can “be driven in pure electric mode for a targeted driving range of more than 45 kilometres.” That’s 28 miles once converted into freedom units, although judging by this model’s European focus, that figure is most likely calculated using the optimistic WLTP cycle, so take it with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, towing capacity for the Ranger Plug-In Hybrid clocks in at a cool 7,716 pounds, the same as the regular Ranger in Europe. Oh, and here’s a cool stat — Ford claims it’ll make “more torque than any other Ranger,” which includes both the Raptor and the European Powerstroke diesel variant.
Oh, and thanks to the hybrid battery, European Ranger Plug-In Hybrid customers will get something Americans have grown to love over the past few years — Ford’s Pro Power Onboard generator, a multi-kilowatt vehicle-to-load system for running big appliances. Think miter saws, or refrigerators. While Ford hasn’t announced a power output for this particular generator, the F-150 Powerboost Hybrid can be specced with up to 7.2 kW of Pro Power Onboard, so here’s hoping the Ranger Plug-In Hybrid gets a similar arrangement.
Ford claims that the first Ranger Plug-In Hybrid examples will be delivered to European customers in early 2025, which is all well and good, but I can’t help but feel that America needs this truck. For all the weekend warriors, frequent U-Haul customers, and those otherwise inclined towards periodic light towing, electric power around town is a scenario that lets you have your cake and eat it too. Fingers crossed this intriguingly flexible powertrain crosses the Atlantic in the future.
(Photo credits: Ford)
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Why the F are automakers not interested in bringing these models to test markets here? The Ram Rampage, the PHEV Ranger, the VW e-Golf; just drop a couple hundred over here scattered in different areas and see what happens.
28 miles of electric range? pass. just give us a ranger hybrid! (non plug in)
Yes, that definitely needs to come to the US.
This is the vehicle I’ve been waiting for. Bring it to the US and I will buy one immediately.
Same, but used in 10 years haha
Perfect, I’ll be able to sell you mine
They’ll be made in Thailand too so Oz, NZ and the South East Asian markets will get them as well.
I would absolutely buy this truck and probably choose it over any other, even a diesel. It’s really the size of a classic half-ton before the endless embiggening happened. I see precisely no reason not to bring it to us. Furthermore, when Ford recently cut the price of the F-150 hybrid to eliminate the markup, I assumed it was in order to help their CAFE numbers which this truck would certainly also help. Duh.
A PHEV pickup is sorely needed. At the Detroit show last week, Jeep confirmed the Gladiator 4xe is coming in late 2024. Granted, that’s more of a lifestyle pickup, but it’s a pickup nevertheless. A PHEV full-size RAM is coming too, perhaps as soon as late next year. Are the other OEMs listening? This seems like a huge market opportunity for those folks who want a plug-in truck and that sweet electric torque, but can’t or won’t go full BEV (e.g. like the Lightning, Silverado EV, Rivian R1T, etc.).
Given their weight, every full size truck should be required to be hybrid with regen braking. This would be a way bigger win for the environment than getting people to switch from a Civic to a Model 3 with tax breaks.
Yeah I’d be all in on a PHEV pickup. Truth be told I’d prefer a Maverick PHEV (which they already have all the components in the parts bin for) or a F-150 which they had originally said was going to come with the Hybrid version, but it seems they are affraid that it would cut into Lightning sales.
However California may come to our rescue since the last I heard they did walk back their total ICE ban and it looks like PHEVs with a minimum 50mi EV range are going to be allowed, at least initially. I can’t see everyone being ready to make the jump to full EV so there should be a good market for PHEVs.
Ah yes, send it to the market that will buy 2 of them and fuck over the market that’ll buy 2000 of them. I almost wonder if this is their secret way of limiting demand because they know they won’t need to build many. They say we have ‘options’ but what other PHEV midsizers are there?
There’s rangers everywhere in the UK these days, it’s been said that the ranger is the f150 to the rest (non usa) off the world.
They will sell here
Right, but that’s still under 60k trucks a year vs 650k+ F150s in the U.S.
Rangers are everywhere over here (Germany), they sell here
That is a truck I would trade my first gen Tundra for.
Progress, but we need it in the US, and we need a PHEV Half-Ton. I’d save so much gas for non-towing times, be able to tow my camper, and probably use the on-board battery and engine for boondocking situations. Curious to see the payload ratings on the Ranger PHEV.
RAM will make a “range extended” PHEV version of the upcoming RAM EV pickup, which is set to launch in late 2024 as a 2025 model. IMO, this is a serious market opportunity – a PHEV full-size truck.
I keep hearing that, and I hope it’s true.
Why? Why can’t we have a PHEV Maverick?! Nothing against the Ranger, it’s a nice truck, but it’s still too big for me. Or, at least, why are they so tall?
I would not be surprised to see this use the transmission and motor from the F-150 PB, just with the 2.3T and a larger battery with provisions for charging. They already use the same 10-speed transmission, seems like the simplest and easiest solution – the Ranger is lighter enough than the F-150 that he motor might move it around alright.
I’m pretty sure that it will use the same transmission as used in the Aviator and Explorer PHEVs (euro only) which I’m pretty sure is the same one used in the F-150 and Explorer Hybrids.
We have more than enough pickup trucks as it is. Americans are not hurting for choice in that department. I would trade all the pickup trucks just for more hatchback (or really just any car that’s not an SUV or SUV adjacent) options to choose from. Forget the European Ranger, give us back the Focus and Fiesta.
Preach it my friend, preach it.
The Focus and Fiesta are dead all together, even in Europe. The best we can hope for is that they come back as cheap and cheerful EVs
I will wait for the Tacoma, Thanks.
I love the Tacoma and I have a Gen3. They are pretty mediocre towing vehicles and the Gen4 doesn’t get any bump in tow rating or capability. Having a PHEV pickup with almost 8k in towing capacity might tempt me into my first Ford.
Ford’s quality scares me to much to consider anything from them. I don’t need or want a truck, but if I did I would take the Tacoma 10 times out of 10.
Shut up and take my money!
Would definitely trade the Grand 4xe in on a midsize plug in pickup.
Just wait for the Gladiator 4xe, its coming. We have a Wrangler 4xe – I’m all in on the plug in hybrid systems. Best of both worlds.
The service at my local chrysler dealerships has me hesitant to do another new vehicle with them, but it is on my radar. Was hoping for it for the 2024 refresh.
So were we, but couldn’t wait a year or two. Took us some time to find a dealership we trust for service too.
Ford can’t make the Maverick Hybrid fast enough. And their solution is to not build a PHEV Ranger for the US? It seems that a $28,000 Hybrid Maverick and a
$50,000 (I’m guessing) Ranger PHEV won’t really be cross shopped that much. Plenty of room for both of them in the lineup.
If they can’t build hybrid Mavericks fast enough, I don’t think they’d necessarily be able to crank these out any faster.
I think you’re missing my point. They wouldn’t replace the Maverick volume with the Ranger, it would be added to it. You see, more of what people want.
I think you missed mine, I never thought you were talking about replacing volume. If Ford doesn’t have enough supply to get hybrid Mavericks out there, I don’t think they’d be in any better position to fulfill demand for a PHEV Ranger on top of that either. So then they’d just have two products that are unobtainium.
I think the issue is a lack of manufacturing capacity, not of battery availability. From what I’ve heard the top 3 ordered trims of Maverick are XLT Hybrid, XL Hybrid, and Lariat Hybrid, but the plant is scheduled for an equal mix of gas and hybrid. Seems like they need more manufacturing capacity, which they could do with the Ranger. Also, it’s not unobtanium, it’s unobtanium at MSRP, which this would also help. But, maybe supply and demand work differently in the new economy.
To me the wait lists for the hybrids extending years in some cases make it unobtainium, regardless of what the dealers do since that all varies by dealer. But if a dealer is doing Mavs with markup no doubt they’re doing that on anything worthwhile they sell too, and the PHEV Ranger would definitely fall into that category.
Why won’t Ford bring it here? Because for just a few thousand dollars more, they’ll happily sell you a hybrid F-150 for way more profit margin.
This is the answer.
Given economies of scale on the F-150, the cost to build is likely similar, and they can (and will) sell the half ton for more.
No $7500 tax incentive on the F-150 though, makes that price difference much greater.
On top of that, no hybrid in the XL F150 so you are shelling out more dough for XLT if you want the hybrid
Have a hybrid Maverick, and would seriously look at replacing that with this.
How are they to live with long term? They are top of my list for my next vehicle purchase. I already treat my Kia Soul like a pickup half the time so the small size isn’t a huge concern.
How much owners like them seems to depend largely on how tolerant they are to continuing to drive it with the myriad drivetrain recalls pending. Many have waited months and months for parts.
10K miles on ours. It’s my wife’s DD, and she loves it.
Consistently pulling high 30’s mpg, the hybrid is seamless.
We have the Lariat, and it’s a nice place to be. Some materials match the price point, but the overall design is nice and we’ve had absolutely no issues at all.
Parks like a small car, visibility is great. and seats four adults comfortably. The only complaint is lack of rear seat vents for the climate.
Why wouldn’t Ford bring this here? Is their chief of marketing a coal-rolling brodozerer? Honestly I would go test drive this today if they had it on the lot, no joke, and I think the Ranger is stupid.
Because Ford knows what you REALLY want is a bigger loan for a F-150 Lightning.
Because the F-150 has been the best-selling truck in the US for 40 years or whatever, and this might meaningfully affect F-150 sales (if they don’t also have a PHEV F-150 ready).