Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid coming to Australia: Here’s how the all new ute stacks up against the competition

The Ford Ranger will become Australia’s first ute available as a hybrid from early next year. 

This is the biggest shake-up in the diesel-dominated ute market in decades, with Ford getting in before Elon Musk‘s Tesla company launches its fully-electric Cybertruck.

Ford will offer customers a plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger ute from early 2025, making it the first ute in Australia to be available with something other than a diesel or petrol engine.

While Toyota offers hybrid versions of its RAV4, Corolla and Camry, it is yet to do so on the HiLux, Australia’s perennial bestseller. 

The all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning isn’t coming to Australia, because demand is outpacing supply in the U.S., but Ford is offering the next best thing with the Ranger.

The Ford Ranger will become Australia’s first ute available as a hybrid from early next year

Ford will offer customers a plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger ute from early 2025, making it the first ute in Australia to be available with something other than a diesel or petrol engine

Andrew Birkic, the president and chief executive of Ford Australia and New Zealand, said the plug-in hybrid version of the Australian-designed Ranger would give motorists performance and zero tailpipe emissions.

‘The Ranger Plug-in Hybrid is a best-of-both-worlds solution for work, play, and family – offering customers zero-tailpipe emissions EV driving for short trips, or hybrid performance that delivers incredible on- and off-road performance,’ he said

Ranger Plug-in Hybrid will deliver more torque than any other Ranger, thanks to a 2.3-litre Ford EcoBoost turbo petrol engine paired with an electric motor and rechargeable battery system. 

It can be driven in pure electric mode for more than 45km without using a drop of fuel or producing tailpipe emissions, helping customers save at the pump. 

The targeted maximum braked towing capacity of the Ranger Plug-In Hybrid is 3,500 kg – the same as the rest of the Ranger line-up. 

The Ford Ranger was Australia’s second most popular car in August, behind the Toyota HiLux, but it was No. 1 in July for the fourth time in 2023.

This year is the 90th anniversary of Ford Australia inventing the ute after Louis ‘Lewis’ Bandt designed the Ford ‘coupe utility’ in Geelong.

This year is the 90th anniversary of Ford Australia inventing the ute after Louis ‘Lewis’ Bandt designed the Ford ‘coupe utility’ in Geelong

Bandt in 1933 famously conceptualised a car with a tray at the back, after a woman from Gippsland wrote to Ford Australia asking for a comfortable passenger car which her farmer husband could drive to church on Sunday and carry pigs to market on Monday.

‘My husband and I can’t afford a car and a truck but we need a car to go to church on Sunday and a truck to take the pigs to market on Monday. Can you help?’

During the Great Depression, farmers could only afford one car.

The managing director of the Ford Motor Company of Australia, Hubert French, passed that handwritten letter on to Lewis Bandt, then a 23-year old design engineer.

His solution is now regarded as one of Australia’s great inventions alongside the Victa lawnmower, Hills Hoist clothesline and WiFi, with utes now the top selling cars every month.

Lewis Bandt, who died in 1987, was also the great uncle of Greens leader Adam Bandt.