The launch of the all-new Ford Ranger PHEV is currently underway in places like Europe and Australia, where customers can now purchase the very first electrified version of that mid-size pickup. In Australia, specifically, it faces a pair of competitors in that space – the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV – both of which feature a larger battery and offer up more all-electric driving range, however. Turns out, it doesn’t seem as if that strikes The Blue Oval itself as a problem, as it believes the battery present in the Ford Ranger PHEV is perfectly adequate.
“We’ve always tried to develop the best tool for the job,” senior Ford product executive, Jim Baumbick, said at the launch of the Ford Ranger PHEV in Australia, according to CarExpert. “When you talk to truck customers they want payload and towing. EV range matters, but in context when you’re adding more battery you’re working counter to the payload and towing. You can increase the battery size, but then you have to increase the size of other parts to carry that weight. It’s about system optimization. We think it’s the right balance for a first application.”
The Ford Ranger PHEV utilizes an 11.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, which gives it an all-electric driving range of around 30 miles. Coupled with a slightly detuned version of the turbocharged 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost gas engine, that gives the plug-in hybrid pickup a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms (7,716 pounds) – which matches the Alpha and bests the Shark – and its max payload capacity beats both, too, which is precisely why the PHEV is replacing one diesel Ranger in Australia’s lineup.
“The PHEV isn’t just an alternative, it can do everything the diesel can do and then some. The truck is more capable because it’s a hybrid. It still does truck things but there’s a new thing it can do with exportable power,” Baumbick said. “For us, it was about optimising the system for performance, towing and capability. Our target was diesel [performance] or better.”
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