Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid spotted testing in public

As Ford’s current internal combustion engine Ranger continues to dominate New Zealand’s sales charts, further reports from overseas have indicated that a plug-in hybrid variant appears imminent in the Ranger’s next generation.

Thickly camouflaged Rangers have been spotted on roads in Europe, with numerous publications indicating that the yellow sticker on the windscreen denotes the car’s plug-in hybrid status.

Barring the stickers, the model’s proportions relative to other sightings of the next Ranger from around the world indicate that it’s not an F-150, Maverick, or any of Ford’s other pick-up nameplates.

Ford hasn’t yet formally confirmed that it’s working on a plug-in Ranger. But, the move has been widely tipped for quite some time.

The marque has already confirmed that its European line-up will be completely electrified by 2026, indicating that the Ranger will either have to become a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, fully electric, or simply go the way of the dodo.

In addition, a Ford Australia spokesperson let slip in February that Ford’s full commercial range, Ranger included, is set to become “zero-emission capable” by 2024, while speaking to Australian outlet CarExpert.

It’s up in the air whether a plug-in hybrid Ranger would be offered in New Zealand. While there’s expected to be strong local demand for a plug-in ute, the model is likely to also require a strong business case in Australia in order to guarantee a slot here.

As previously reported, the updated Ford Ranger is set to be unveiled later this year. It’s expected to not arrive on our roads until 2022. It will share its architecture with the all-new Volkswagen Amarok, and is expected to be available with both a four-cylinder turbo-diesel and a V6.