Ute manufacturers are now starting to look to plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options, as well as diesel power. BYD has launched their petrol, plugin-hybrid Shark (that we are reviewing right now) and will have no diesel option at all.
Running a petrol ute should mean lower servicing costs, smoother and quieter running, and less emissions – so that should mean a petrol/PHEV ute is at least equal to or better than a diesel? Ford thinks so, as we headed to Ford’s Broadmeadows plant in Melbourne to see and test out the all-new Ranger PHEV.
For Ford, it might be a harder road to travel since both their four-cylinder and six-cylinder diesels are just so damn good. For our testing, that V6 worked out more economical than the four-cylinder in real-world usage; it also sounds great and goes very, very well. Will potential or existing Ranger diesel owners be tempted by the new plug-in hybrid or will they pooh-pooh it?
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Update
In Australia, the Ranger has been the number one selling vehicle for the last two years, says Ford. This replicates our own market, where the Ranger has been the biggest selling vehicle for the last ten years. Even in Europe, Ford says it’s been the number one selling vehicle for the last ten years.
Ford Australia was obviously proud to reinforce their partnership with Geelong Football Club, and that relationship has been going for 100 years, the longest such partnership in the world, they say.
There are 180 markets worldwide that sell the Ranger; in fact, it’s sold on every continent except Antarctica, with Ford claiming it’s the second best-selling midsize pickup in the world. The ute is designed and engineered in Melbourne, and to date, over five million have been sold globally.
The ute is built in a variety of factories; the USA, Argentina, South Africa, Vietnam, and two in Thailand. That locally developed T6 platform is also under the left-hand drive Ford Bronco that’s sold in the USA, South America, Europe, and China. The Ranger is the first double-cab ute to achieve a 5-star ANCAP rating, says Ford.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Hybrid System
Ford says their engineering team were told “make no compromises” when it came to the PHEV system in the Ranger. They used real-world owner data to decide on PHEV specs, after asking 10,000 Ranger owners to fill in a survey. This revealed that 59% of Ranger diesel owners drove only in 4A (four-wheel drive Automatic), 45% used 4H, and 11% used 4L. Of all surveyed, 45% had used the rear diff-lock. Of those 10,000, 80% used their Ranger for towing, with 30% using their Ranger for towing heavy loads. For the engineers, this meant they had to ensure the Ranger PHEV would have equal towing capabilities of the diesel mode, as well as the same off-roading ability.
The survey also showed the average daily driving distance was 40km or less. This showed us why Ford chose the EV battery pack size that they did; the Ranger PHEV will do around 43km in pure EV mode on a single charge, covering most Ranger drivers’ needs.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Models
New Zealand will see three Ranger PHEVs, with identical powertrains and battery pack sizes.
XLT – $82,990
Wildtrak – $89,990
Stormtrak – $94,990
The XLT 4X4 with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine is $67,990, so the XLT PHEV carries a hefty $15,000 premium. The V6 diesel Wildtrak is $85,990, so minimal extra cost to the Wildtrak PHEV.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Drivetrain
The engine is a 2.3-litre Ecoboost unit, so petrol-turbocharged. This is essentially the same engine used in the 4-cyinder Mustang. It manages 138kW of power, and 411Nm of torque.
The electric motor is rated at 75kW/300nm, with combined petrol/PHEV ratings at 207kW and 697Nm. Compare these numbers to the V6 diesel Ranger with its 184kW of power, and 600Nm of torque. Ford has fitted the electric motor between the engine and transmission; we’ve had some PHEVs from other brands with this setup, and they can be jerky when the electric engine send its full load of instant torque into the transmission. It will be interesting to see if this is the case in the Ranger PHEV.
Fuel economy of 2.9L/100km is suggested for the new PHEV Ranger.
Ford has put an 11.8kWh battery pack between the rear frame rails of the Ranger, beneath the rear load box. This does mean that you cannot remove the box on the ute and replace it with anything else such as a flat deck. This is going to be a deal-breaker for some Ranger buyers, but the diesel model isn’t going anywhere, so for those buyers the decision is an easy one.
The transmission is a 10-speed automatic, but it’s not the same as the one fitted to the diesels; it’s a new “Modular Hybrid Transmission”. The PHEV has the same ‘advanced full-time 4WD” system fitted to the V6 diesel Ranger, and still has a locking rear diff.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: PPOB
The acronym is Ford’s take on the onboard power system in the new Ranger; Pro Power On Board.
It can supply up to 6.9kW via two outlets, with a maximum draw of 3.45kW (15 amps) per outlet. For some tradies, this might just be the thing they need that will sway them from other brands, or the diesel Ranger.
PPOB does require the ignition to be turned on, although you can still lock your Ranger PHEV with the FordPass app to keep your truck safe while things are plugged in.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: EV modes
There are 4 EV modes in the new Ranger:
- Auto EV – Keeps Ranger PHEV in the best mode for performance and efficiency. Best for: normal daily driving for many drivers
- EV Now – Provides an all-electric drive experience by preventing engine starts unless commanded by the driver. Best for: driving the vehicle like a BEV and not unintentionally starting the engine
- EV Later – Keeps the current state of charge in reserve so that it can be deployed later. Best for: saving battery charge for use of Pro Power Onboard, or for full EV driving later.
- EV Charge – Increases High Voltage battery energy by charging it using the vehicle’s engine. Best for: Driver wants to use Pro Power Onboard later but did not have time to charge at home.
Some modes are not available when selecting a different drive mode; for example, if selecting Sport, Tow/Haul, Mud/Ruts, or Sand drive mode, only Auto EV will be available to use, and the Ranger will switch automatically to it. Ford says this is to ensure optimum power and torque is available on demand.
If you have your Ranger PHEV in Normal or Slippery drive mode, all four EV modes are available.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Towing
With a GVM of 3,500Kg and a GCM of 6,580Kg, the Ranger PHEV still has a 3,500Kg braked tow rating. Maximum ball weight is 350Kg, and payload is rated between 808-973Kg, depending on your model of Ranger PHEV.
The Ranger PHEV weighs between 2,527 and 2,692Kg, depending on the model. The tray is actually slightly longer than the diesel Ranger.
A spare wheel is a no-cost option; it reduces the payload so some owners won’t want one.
Towing technology is identical to a diesel Ranger, although the dedicated Tow/Haul mode will optimise the hybrid powertrain and gear shift timing, along with engine braking and steering weight.
Like other Rangers, there’s still a built-in brake controller and the Ranger PHEV comes with trailer sway control.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Off-road
The new model has improved underbody protection for the battery, and new armouring underneath the battery and parts of the new transmission.
The 800mm wading depth is retained, along with breathers on the axles, transmission, and transfer case – all sitting above the rated waterline
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Warranty
5-year unlimited Km warranty
Battery – 8 years/160,000km warranty
Services – 12 months 15,000km
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Drive Impressions
We grabbed the base XLT version for the day’s drive, and a first impression is engine noise; this petrol engine seems nosier than the diesel models. Part of this is down to both diesel Rangers – they are so refined for a diesel motor, it’s obvious when something else is less refined.
The EcoBoost 2.3-litre engine is still refined, but it’s not as good – that’s all. Mainly, that engine noise is under load but it’s not bad or a deal breaker. On the open road and on a steady throttle, it’s just fine and driving on the motorway, it’s almost silent.
The transition between EV mode and hybrid mode is almost seamless, meaning it’s probably best in normal driving conditions to just leave it in EV Auto and let the Ranger’s computers sort it out.
A second impression is that the ride is firmer than the diesel models; I had thought with the extra weight of the PHEV models over the diesel would mean a smoother ride, but it feels like Ford’s engineers have tweaked the spring rates to ensure that extra weight doesn’t affect the PHEV’s driving towability. Like engine noise, it’s more obvious in the PHEV, as the diesel Rangers ride pretty damn well.
Today’s drive would see us going to Lerderberg State Park, to try out the Ranger PHEV on one of the off-road tracks. On the way, we passed dozens of dead kangaroos on the side of the road, and one wombat. Sad to see but the realities of living in Australia.
Our off-roading adventure started off with some pretty easy tracks, almost farm tracks and a little disappointing. We were almost bored after ten minutes of this, but then the track went from mild to wild in 50 metres, with sharp downhill sections of jagged rocks. Hill Descent Control was used for all Rangers here, and it was set at 2km/h – that’s the maximum speed this part of the track could be taken at.
Once all where through, we continued to the end of the road, going over more sections of jagged rocks, to our turnaround point. Since the track was one way, we headed back the same way, meaning going back up the wickedly steep rock section. Here, it was diff lock on, 4-low and crawl up the rock face. Some had to have a couple of goes at it, but all got through with no damage and no scraping. It was an impressive display of the Ranger PHEV’s capability – it seems to have lost nothing over the diesel-powered Rangers.
Lunch was served after this, with a bonus of some Ranger PHEVs lined up, one with a pie-warmer filled with sausage rolls (because Australia), the next with a coffee machine, and the next with a toastie maker. That last one must have eventually run low on its battery, as at one point the petrol engine started and the motor moved into Generator mode to charge the EV battery. It was completely seamless and required no human interaction.
After our off-roading, we headed to Lancemore Mansion Hotel in Werribee for the night. At the end of the day, our Ranger had used 9.7L/100km of petrol. That is way higher than claimed, but keep in mind once that 49km of range runs out, the car will start the petrol engine automatically. It will still go into EV mode where it can once the battery has some charge back in it, but it’s more effective on fuel usage when you charge it each night. Power consumption for the day was sitting on 25kWh/100km. Again, a high number but not unexpected with the weight of the Ranger PHEV.
The last 100km of today’s drive was on the open road, where we managed 6.5L/100km, including 31km of that 100km in pure EV mode.
2025 FORD RANGER PHEV LAUNCH: DAY TWO
First thing in the morning, I grabbed a Stormtrak that had a 2-ton digger loaded onto a trailer. That meant a total of 2.8-ton added to the Ranger PEHV’s weight. Putting the Ranger PHEV into trailer mode sees the car automatically select Auto EV mode.
Performance off the line is almost sprightly with the digger attached, and a full-throttle test from a standing start surprised me – obviously slower, but still very good. But, this was on flat roads. I went hunting for a hill, but couldn’t find one. Keep in mind that since the PHEV version of the Ranger has more torque than the diesel, even hills should be easier in the PHEV model.
For today’s drive, we grabbed a Stormtrak Ranger PHEV, so the top-spec model. The extra gear inside is instantly obvious, and I could see this being a popular model in New Zealand, even with its almost $95K price.
We only needed to drive 40km to our first driver change for the day, and for that driving – on the motorway, at a steady 100km/h – we managed 3.0L/100km of petrol. Our car started with 79% battery charge and had stayed in EV mode for the first 28km of the drive.
Our main event for today would be to head to the Australian Automotive Research Centre (AARC) and do some more off-road testing of the ute. The AARC covers a massive 1,000km and has multiple car research facilities, including crash testing for ANCAP ratings, road track, off-road tracks, suspension testing tracks, park brake testing, and so much more. It’s an impressive venue.
After our site induction, we headed to the first test, downhill gradients, and a hill climb. The downhill sections are used for uphill as well and range from 30 to 65 degrees. Walking down – or worse, up – the 65-degree hill is not easy. With Hill Descent Control (HDC) engaged, going down the easier slopes was too easy – just sit back, feet off pedals, and let the Ranger do the work.
Moving up to the more difficult slopes used the same method; when going down, engage HDC and set your desired speed with the cruise control speed buttons. Even on the 50-degree metal slope, the Ranger cruised down easily, although the speed was set at a low 3km/h. On to the 65-degree concrete slope next, for an uphill drive. Just using the accelerator at a reasonably slow pace, in 4H the Ranger PHEV cruised up the hill with ease, and zero wheelspin. Even some of the more novice off-road drivers in the group could not believe how easy it was.
If there was one takeaway from this drive, it is that Hill Descent Control is now so refined from HDC of old. There’s no clunking or noise, no sharp movements as brakes kick in on individual wheels; the system works beautifully.
Our last off-roading test was a huge area for driving around, going over or through different sections, such as a cross-axle test, water wading, and a big pit of mud. Naturally, most drivers spent the most time in the mud pit, ‘testing’ the Ranger PHEV, or maybe just having some fun. Admittedly, it was fun.
We started off in 4H with traction control on and found the Ranger would cruise through the thick mud easily. Next, it was 4H but no traction control, and this is where it got tricky, as it was up to the driver now to keep things moving. Slipping the car into two-wheel drive with no traction control meant steering didn’t work well at all, as the car just ploughed straight forward through the mud. But this was also the most fun, and a heavy right foot would see plenty of sideways action.
Testing out the Ranger in the wading section was almost boring. Although we had to take a sharp angle in to avoid bottoming out, the deep water didn’t affect anything. Not that we thought it would, but water was lapping around the doors as each Ranger drove through it.
2025 Ford Ranger PHEV launch: Summary
Over two days, the Ford Ranger PHEV impressed. If I was looking at buying a Wildtrack diesel, I’d be hard pushed to not pay the extra $5K for the PHEV. But then if I was looking at the base XLT, that $15,000 difference is a hard sell.
Regardless of that, the Ranger PHEV should do well – if Ford can get those die-hard diesel lovers out into the ute. That may well be the biggest challenge for Ford, but the short-distance Ranger drivers should flock to the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV. It makes a lot of sense.
