Ford Ranger EV all but confirmed

It’s official: a second all-electric Ford pick-up truck is in the works and there is really only one option – the all-new Australian-developed 2022 Ford Ranger.

In an address delivered towards the end of the battery-powered Ford F-150 Lightning’s official launch, Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley said the brand was “already pushing dirt down in Blue Oval City in Tennessee for another electric pick-up truck that’s different than” the Lightning.

At this point some might speculate Ford’s mysterious second electric ute will be a zero-emissions version of the US-market 2022 Ford Maverick, which is underpinned by the same C2 monocoque platform as the Ford Focus small car.

But a company spokesperson later told Jalopnik the vehicle in question would “be a next-gen electric truck”, thereby ruling the car-based Maverick dual-cab out given it’s already well and truly launched in the US.

Unless Ford has some other secret all-new ute project in the works, the new Ranger – due to launch here in June – is the only plausible candidate, especially when comments made by its global development team are thrown into the mix.

Speaking to media back at the new Ranger’s global debut, Ford Ranger platform chief engineer Ian Foston said the new Ranger had been future-proofed with plenty of possibilities “within the platform bandwidth” and that customers had been asking about electrification technology.

“They’re asking about when will pick-ups be available with that technology … clearly there’s a big future for EVs in every segment, trucks being one of them,” he said in November.

Four months later in the lead-up to the related Ford Everest’s reveal, Foston again spoke about the electrification capabilities of the second-generation T6 platform underpinning the new ute and SUV, confirming the 50mm longer wheelbase makes it easier to fit a mild-hybrid transmission.

“The mild-hybrid portion of the drivetrain is suitable for a number of applications whether that’s a plug-in hybrid, whether it’s more of a mild-hybrid with a smaller battery,” he said.

“I’m sure we’ll have more to say about all this in months and years to come,” said Foston, who confirmed the new Ranger is ‘package-protected’ for a range of electrified powertrains – from mild-hybrid to pure electric.

Ford Australia is yet to comment on any aspect of this most recent announcement but we’re sure the local division will have both hands up in the air for an all-electric Ranger, not least because of the local development work that’s gone into the internal combustion versions.

The Blue Oval will also be keen to get the jump on its mainstream competitors in terms of an electric ute, given Toyota has already shown off its concept work for an EV HiLux equivalent, while Kia is set to join the EV party with two different electric ute models.

Looking to the challenger brands, LDV has already shown off its LDV EVT60, while both SsangYong and GWM are reportedly working on EV versions of their respective Musso and Ute models.

It will likely be quite some time before we see or hear anything meaningful about this second electric Ford load-hauler and indeed whether it will come to Australia.

Ford Australia’s local electrification strategy will be kicked off by the long-delayed Ford Escape PHEV next month, followed soon after by its first EV, the all-electric E-Transit delivery van.

The battery-powered version of Ford Australia’s biggest commercial vehicle will be one of at least five electrified models Ford has promised to have on sale Down Under by the end of 2024.

Other potential electrified candidates for Australia within the next two years include the Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning, Mondeo Evos and plug-in hybrid versions of the new Ranger and Everest.