The all-new Ford Ranger PHEV debuted back in September 2023, and production of the electrified pickup kicked off at the Silverton Assembly plant in South Africa just this past March. The plug-in hybrid mid-size pickup is being exported to places like Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and Europe, where it will replace diesel variants amid increasing emissions regulations. However, thus far at least, it doesn't seem as if demand for the Ford Ranger PHEV is matching The Blue Oval's expectations.
According to Reuters, Neale Hill, President of Ford Motor Company Africa, recent confirmed that The Blue Oval has reduced its operations at the Silverton plant from three shifts to two amid weaker than expected demand for the Ford Ranger PHEV. At least part of this decline stems from a decision in the UK to reclassify double-cab pickups with payloads of one ton or more as passenger vehicles rather than commercial vans for tax purposes, which makes them pricier to own.
"As a consequence of that, people have unfortunately reduced their volume. So that's had a big impact in terms of our European orders," Hill added, pointing to the fact that numbers aren't quite where they need to be yet. "We haven't seen the plug-in hybrid Ranger hit the volumes that we've been looking for," Hill said. "It's an expensive vehicle, plus, we are not getting to the European originating content, which then makes it able to go into Europe duty-free."
Currently, the Silverton plant has the capacity to build 200,000 vehicles annually, but it seems as if Ford won't be getting close to that number as a result of slow demand for the Ranger PHEV, too. "Currently this year will be about 100,000 and the installed capacity at capable volume is 140,000. That's what we'll keep going forward," Hill said. As Ford Authority recently reported, The Blue Oval plans to cut around 470 jobs from Silverton and the Strundale Engine plant.
Comment
The reason they are not selling is because of the BYD shark delivers more for less money. Ford detune the 2.3 power so much it turns into a weak motor with a small battery it turned into not a good showing as the press has been saying. What should have been a full power 2.3 with 300 horsepower and electric assist Ford instead neutered it into a weak dud. Its like the Lobo they under delivered and they are not selling, if it had the 2.3 with 300 horsepower out of the old Lincoln MKC it would have sold like hot cakes.