Mandated emission targets are certainly a dampener on the olden days when the only genuine concern was gas mileage, and it didn’t matter if you owned a diesel or petrol car. However, with today’s political climate, the future is looking electric, and with legislation putting mandates for hybrid or electric vehicles, it’s no longer a question of whether a car will feature battery power or not; but it’s simply a matter of when. For the next-generation Ford Ranger, it looks like a hybrid-powered trim is expected to arrive by 2024.
The Next-Generation Ford Ranger Was Designed To Adapt To Different Powertrains
According to Australia’s Drive, briefings with engineers that led up to the unveiling of the 2023 Ford Ranger offered some hints about electrification and the chassis design and its ability to adapt to what needs may arise over the duration of the new generation Ranger. One engineer for the new Ford Ranger stated that ability to apply electrification in the platform is “enabled,” but wouldn’t elaborate beyond that.
Image via Ford
The global chief engineer for the new P703 Ford Ranger, Ian Foston, stated “Certainly we’ve spoken to customers all around the world, and there’s clearly two big drivers for electrification (and hybrid technology). One is through customers who’ve often had ownership experiences in electric vehicles of some variety. And they’re asking about when will pickups be available with that technology. And there’s also legislative requirements that have been applied in a number of markets around the world. So clearly there’s a big future for (hybrid and electric vehicles) in every segment, trucks being one of them as well.”
The Ford Ranger hybrid may potentially have the 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine paired with the hybrid powertrain, but the only way to be sure is by waiting until the Ranger hybrid is released.
What It Means For North American Customers
The timeline is one of intrigue for American and Canadian customers, who will get the P703N Ford Ranger in 2023 as a 2024 model. The truck will roll off the Michigan Assembly Plant alongside the Ford Bronco in due time, and hybridization has long been rumored for both the Bronco and the Ranger. Seeing as they share a similar architecture, a likely scenario would be that the Ford Ranger launches in North America with a hybrid powertrain, similar to that of the Ford Maverick, while the Bronco gets an electrified powertrain refresh to compliment the new truck.
Think you have a better prediction? Let’s hear it in the comment section below.
Image via Ford
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Source: https://www.musclecarsandtrucks.com/next-generation-ford-ranger-hybrid-p703/
