Ford explains detuning of Ranger PHEV engine

FORD has confirmed that maximising fuel efficiency was central to its decision to reduce the output of the new Ranger PHEV’s turbocharged 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder petrol when compared with the non-hybrid 2.3T found in North America’s Ranger, as well the Australian-market Volkswagen Amarok TSI452.

Despite using the petrol engine optionally available in the Amarok Aventura ($82,990 plus on-road costs), in which it produces 222kW/452Nm, the plug-in hybrid Ranger produces just 138kW/411Nm from the 2.3-litre ‘four, a 38 per cent drop in peak combustion power.

The Ranger PHEV offsets its detuned petrol engine output with a 75kW electric motor mounted in the dual-cab ute’s 10R80 10-speed torque converter automatic transmission, a unit Ford co-developed with General Motors. The 10R80 handles up to 321kW/773Nm in the US-market F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid.

Total system outputs for the Ranger PHEV are 207kW/697Nm, being noticeably stronger in both peak power and torque than both the 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel (150kW/500Nm) and 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 (184kW/600Nm).

Australian buyers of the Ranger XLT, Sport and Wildtrak double-cab 4x4 grades can opt for any of the three powertrains, with the PHEV pitched as the premium choice. An XLT with diesel ‘four asks $63,640+ORCs while the V6 diesel is a +$5200 upgrade and the PHEV costs +$3150 over the V6.

Ford global vice president of advanced product development Jim Baumbick told GoAuto that while performance headroom existed in the Ranger PHEV’s engine and transmission, Ford made an intentional trade-off in favour of reduced fuel use.

“Our target was diesel or better. Could you add more performance? Yes. Would it come with trade-offs in other ways? You bet,” he said, before confirming that fuel efficiency was the main trade-off.

Like the diesels, the Ranger PHEV can tow 3500kg and payload is as high as 973km for an XLT version with the no-cost option of a spare wheel delete. Opting for the spare bumps payload down by about 30kg across the four variants, with the PHEV-exclusive Stormtrak a limited-edition launch trim.

The relatively modest usable battery capacity of 11.8kWh in the Ranger PHEV has resulted in a 43km electric range rating in Europe, the market for which the plug-in ute was primarily developed, well in advance of the Australian government adopting New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) laws.

“We didn’t do (the PHEV) because of the new (NVES) requirements,” Mr Baumbick told GoAuto.

“It is part of the overall mission in this portfolio of (electrified powertrain) options. We know that we can unlock new capabilities with electrification.”

The Ranger PHEV has achieved a 66g/km official CO2 rating in Australia, substantially beneath the fleet average limits imposed by NVES for light commercial vehicles, which are set to ratchet down from 210g/km in 2025 to 110g/km in 2029.

Importantly, the PHEV’s low paper emissions means every sale of that powertrain in Australia generates valuable NVES credits for Ford which can be used to offset the impact of selling higher-CO2 vehicles locally such as the Ranger Raptor (262g/km) and Mustang GT (310g/km).

The impact to Ford’s NVES bottom line of even run-of-the-mill diesel versions of the Ranger cannot be understated, with V6 diesel versions producing 222g/km, while even the four-cylinder diesel officially generates 189g/km in most variants.

Every Ranger PHEV sold locally in 2025 puts Ford as much as 144g/km in credit of the light commercial vehicle NVES limit, while the registration of a diesel V6 sees Ford 12g/km adrift of the rules. As a result, generating sufficient Aussie sales of the PHEV model will be critical to Ford Australia’s profitability.

NVES-based accounting is a substantial reason that, while a more powerful tune of the 2.3-litre EcoBoost in the Ranger PHEV is entirely feasible, it is unlikely to be added unless Ford also boosts the capacity of the hybrid battery, which would offset the negative impact of more engine power on fuel economy.

Mr Baumbick hinted that more ambitious levels of electrification for the Ranger platform remain under study, moves that would allow for stronger total outputs that would more closely rival the BYD Shark 6 (321kW/650Nm) and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV (300kW/750Nm).

“We think (207kW) is the right balance for the first application,” added Mr Baumbick.

“It offers the hybrid propulsion, fuel economy, and total cost of ownership benefits and unlocks the (6.9kW Pro Power Onboard vehicle-to-load) superpower. It can do everything a diesel can do, and more.”

The EcoBoost ‘four is likely to remain at the combustion core of Ford’s plug-in hybrid ute strategy for the foreseeable future.

“(The EcoBoost engine has) long legs. If you look at all the hybrid propulsion systems in the industry they are all migrating [to] high thermal efficiency engines that deliver a certain amount of engine torque to drive the vehicle,” he stated.

“The 2.3-litre is very thermally efficient. You could that with the (11.8kWh) battery and (10R80) hybrid transmission, and you have a really good foundation for an efficient propulsion system.”