PHEV to 'protect Ranger's future in SA', says Ford boss

Ford SA’s boss says the Ranger PHEV will “protect” the bakkie’s future in the country, describing this plug-in variant as the “first step of electrification” of the platform…

Neale Hill, President of Ford Motor Company Africa, says the new Ranger PHEV is a “critical step” to protect the future of the locally produced bakkie in South Africa, while also hinting that a fully electric version could be on the cards.

The first production-spec units of the new Ranger plug-in hybrid are scheduled to start rolling off the line at Silverton towards the end of 2024. This comes after the Blue Oval brand invested R5.2-billion in its South African plant, which will serve as the only facility worldwide building the Ranger PHEV.

“It’s such a critical step in terms of protecting the future of Ranger in South Africa. The fact that we are the only Ford plant in the world – out of 5 other plants globally [producing the Ranger] – to be honoured with the opportunity to build the plug-in hybrid is a big step forward,” Hill told Cars.co.za at Naamsa’s recent South African Auto Week 2024 in Cape Town.

Interestingly, Ford has yet to confirm this electrified derivative for the South African market. Perhaps more importantly, though, the Ranger PHEV will effectively allow the Silverton assembly plant to continue servicing Europe, its largest export destination and a continent in the midst of a shift towards electrified vehicles.

“One of our principle [export] markets is Europe – so UK [United Kingdom], Germany – and just the fact that we’re in the first step of electrification of the Ranger platform in the form of a plug-in hybrid starts opening up massive potential and massive opportunities. It gives people an insight as to what the future is and where we can go.

“If you look at F-150 Lightning, which we’re already producing in the US [United States] as a full electric version, the capabilities, the knowledge, the experience is there. It’s now just a question of at what point do we scale it into the Ranger platform and where do we go from that,” Hill added, hinting at plans to eventually offer a battery-powered version of the bakkie.

Rumours of a fully electric Ranger have been circulating for some time. In addition, Ford in the United States announced in August 2024 that it planned to launch a new “mid-sized electric pick-up” in 2027. Whether or not that ends up being a Ranger EV, of course, remains to be seen.

As a reminder, the Ranger PHEV’s powertrain combines Ford’s turbocharged 2.3-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine and 10‑speed automatic transmission with a 75 kW electric motor and an 11.8 kWh (usable capacity) battery pack. Peak system outputs stand at 205 kW and 690 Nm, with this torque figure described as the “highest of any production Ranger ever” (eclipsing even the high-performance Raptor’s 583 Nm).

The electric motor is integrated into the transmission bellhousing, while the battery takes “less than 4 hours to charge using a single-phase 16-amp charger”, according to Ford. Interestingly, the company has still not provided a confirmed single-charge electric-only range, saying only that it has a target of “over 45 km”.

Ford adds that buyers can expect a payload of “up to 1 tonne” and a braked towing capacity of 3 500 kg. The Ranger PHEV employs a new “e-4WD” system along with a dual-range transfer box and rear differential lock. The traction battery, meanwhile, is packaged between “specially engineered” frame rails.