With emissions requirements in places like Europe and Australia set to stiffen in a big way over the coming years, automakers are working to ensure that fleets will meet required averages in terms of CO2 emissions. That includes Ford, which has vastly expanded its electrified lineup across those same places over the past couple of years, too. One such addition is the Ford Ranger PHEV, a plug-in hybrid version of the pickup that will replace the 2.0L EcoBlue diesel in the lineup and help to cut fleet-wide emissions as a result. However, it seems as if that model wasn’t created solely for that reason, either.
According to CarExpert, the purpose behind the existence of the Ford Ranger PHEV revolves around the desire to give consumers more options, and not just to meet ever-increasing emissions requirements, though it is admittedly helping the automaker adhere to New Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES) in Australia and avoid fines. “This is not a compliance play, it’s a portfolio of options,” said Ford’s senior global product executive, Jim Baumbick. “At Ford, we want to let the customers choose so they can pick the right tool for the job. The regulatory requirements in Australia have changed very rapidly, faster than normal process. But we already had this in development, and we’ll continue to enhance the portfolio. We’re launching it now, but we didn’t do this because of the new requirements. It’s part of our overall mission to offer a portfolio of options.”
“Going electric isn’t a light switch,” Baumbick added. “We’re trying to move as fast as we can, and when things change quickly there are development lead times, so stay tuned. It’s going to be a portfolio of solutions over a longer arch of time. We’re going to continue to improve the efficiency and emissions of our systems and a migration to hybrids over time will make a big contribution to the challenge of reducing emissions. EV will play a significant role, but it’s got to be the right tool for the job.”
The Ford Ranger PHEV utilizes a detuned version of the regular turbocharged 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost, also found in the U.S. market Ranger and Ford Mustang EcoBoost. On its own accord, that gas engine churns out 138 kW (185 horsepower) and 411 Nm (303 pound-feet) of torque, compared to 232 kW (311 horsepower) and 475 Nm (350 pound-feet) in the Australian pony car, a slight detune made in an effort to optimize fuel efficiency. The Ranger PHEV wasn’t designed for trade applications in regard to replacing its bed with a steel tray or canopy, however, largely due to the positioning of the battery itself.
Comment
I’m not sure we will see the PHEV Ranger in the US soon. Cox recently reported that PHEV sales in the US slightly declined over the last few months and only has 2% share of the vehicle market . PHEV adds complexity and cost.