This European Ford Ranger Hybrid Could Make Its Way Here Soon

• Ford reveals the Ranger PHEV pickup at IAA Transportation in Hanover, Germany, previewing a European-market model slated to arrive in spring 2025.

• The plug-in hybrid combines a 2.3-liter gasoline engine with a battery and a 10-speed automatic transmission that contains an electric motor, with a top combined output of 279 hp and 509 lb-ft of torque.

• The truck, slated to offer an EV-only 28-mile range in the WLTP cycle, will be produced in South Africa for the European market, but could make it stateside later in 2026.

Ford made news earlier this year in shifting some of its focus away from EVs in favor of hybrids—a move echoed by a number of other automakers that have decided that EV revolution might take a little longer than anticipated.

And the Ranger PHEV, revealed this week in Germany at the IAA Transportation in Hanover, is a good reflection of this newly tweaked strategy, even though this model was certainly in the works long before Ford got cold feet regarding EVs.

The plug-in hybrid pairs a 2.3-liter gasoline engine with a battery, sending power to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. Nestled in the Modular Hybrid Transmission is a 75-kW electric motor that can work in concert with the gasoline engine, or just by itself. In the former case, drivers will be able to take advantage of 279 hp and 509 lb-ft of torque, giving the Ranger quite a lot of pull, especially when it comes to towing capacity rated at 7,716 lbs (3,500 kg) in Europe.

When the electric motor is the only thing doing the work, there is still plenty of power to go around, and it still goes to all four wheels. An 11.8-kWh battery positioned in between the frame rails provides the juice, requiring just a couple of hours of time at the plug, while also giving the Ranger PHEV an EV-only range of 28 miles if needed, at least in the WLTP cycle.

How to use the battery is up to the driver, and Ford makes it easy with four driving modes: Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later, and EV Charge modes.

Regenerative braking is a feature as well, in addition to Ford Pro Home Charging that allows owners to schedule charging times when power is the cheapest. Pro Power Onboard, meanwhile, allows truck owners to run a variety of tools via the outlets in the bed, making it a logical choice for contractors.

"The all-new Ranger PHEV delivers the benefits of electrification hand-in-hand with the hard-working performance that has built Ranger a loyal fanbase in Europe," said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe.

But is it something we'll see stateside anytime soon?

The Ranger that Europe will get will be built in South Africa, with customers in Europe slated to receive it next spring. This initial build schedule, therefore, forecloses the possibility of the US receiving it immediately, thanks to the chicken tax.

However, a couple of years down the road we anticipate seeing it here once production spools up in the US, with a likely 2026 launch date being a good bet for now.

Ford is still bullish on EVs in the longer term, we should note, but the last couple of years have shown that the EV market is bound to grow in sudden surges rather than steadily picking up momentum and achieving exponential growth. And it certainly feels like automakers have a reached a plateau for now when it comes to battery-electric trucks, with the initial rush showing signs of having run out of steam quite early.

Will PHEV trucks become more popular that BEV trucks in the coming years, or will the pickup truck market continue to gradually shift to EVs before 2030? Let us know what you think in the comments below.