The Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid is now a reality and will arrive accompanied by a special launch edition

The IAA Transportation taking place in the German city of Hannover is bringing us plenty of news in the field of electric mobility, a venue that many brands are using to present their latest solutions. Among them is Ford, since the brand with the oval had already hinted just a few days ago that this is where they would unveil the new Ranger with plug-in hybrid powertrain to the world.

This new powertrain will join the already familiar ones in the rest of the range in Europe, made up of the 2.0 EcoBlue diesel engine in outputs ranging from 170 CV to 210 CV and the 3.0 EcoBoost petrol engine of 292 CV, the latter exclusive to the Ranger Raptor version. In addition, this plug-in hybrid powertrain comes with the distinction of being the engine with the most torque ever fitted to any series-production Ranger, while also maintaining the towing, payload and off-road capability of any other Ranger.

The new Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid, or PHEV, as you prefer to call it, is powered by the 2,300 cc EcoBoost petrol engine combined with a 75 kW electric motor, both managed by a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The combination of both motors results in a power output of 279 CV and a generous torque of 690 Nm, figures with which it can afford to outperform the Ranger equipped with the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel.

The new modular hybrid transmission is responsible for housing the electric motor in the transmission case to enable hybrid driving, an electric motor that, incidentally, works together with a lithium-ion battery with a usable capacity of 11.8 kWh. When fully charged, it allows up to 45 kilometres in fully electric mode, and it can recover some of its energy through regenerative braking. Once depleted, it can recharge in under four hours with a 16-amp single-phase charger. Obviously, there will be more driving modes, namely EV Auto, EV Now, EV Later or EV Charge, already familiar from other hybrid models of Ford.

This new powertrain adds extra weight to the Ford Ranger PHEV, so to maintain a payload of up to one tonne, a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, and to keep its exceptional off-road capability through the e-4WD system, together with the dual-range transfer case and rear differential lock, Ford engineers have had to make modifications such as tuning the suspension and chassis as well as a new optimal weight distribution.

Furthermore, Ford confirms that, as standard equipment on the Ranger PHEV, we will find the Pro Power Onboard technology, with which owners can supply power to high-consumption tools and equipment simultaneously at a worksite without the need for a generator, a utility that is also useful for leisure use on our camping trips. In this way, as standard, the system offers 2.3 kW, although as an option we can request 6.9 kW with two 15-amp sockets in the load bed, that is, 3.45 kW available at each socket.

Finally, the Ford Ranger PHEV will be available with the Stormtrak launch edition, offering standard equipment that includes items such as the following:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Honeycomb-pattern grille
• Vents on the wheel arches
• Vinyl graphics kit
• Matrix LED headlights
• Flexible roof rack system
• Pro Trailer Backup Assist
• 360-degree camera
• Exclusive Chill Grey paint
• 10-speaker B&O sound system
• Exclusive interior inserts

For now, we will have to wait to find out the price the Ford Ranger PHEV will have in Spain, as the brand has confirmed that first deliveries are not expected until spring 2025.