Electric Ford ute announced for 2027

The Ford Ranger PHEV hasn’t even hit local showrooms, but Ford has teased plans to launch a fully electric version of Australia’s most popular ute.

US car manufacturer Ford announced a slew of changes to their electric vehicle (EV) plans last week, including the postponement or cancellation of new models in favour of more hybrids.

Ford also provided the launch date of the potential electric Ranger, despite not explicitly calling it that.

A dedicated ‘skunkworks’ team located in California are developing a new EV platform, aimed to be cheaper to make and therefore more affordable for buyers, compared to current models.

“The first affordable vehicle off this new platform will be a mid-sized electric pickup launching in 2027 that is expected to cater to customers who want more for their money – more range, more utility, more useability,” Ford said in a media statement.

 A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Ford Ranger is due in Australia in early 2025, with claims that it can drive 45km on battery power.

In addition to the announcement of a fully electric Ranger-sized ute, Ford announced delays with its F-150 Lightning successor to the second half of 2027, two years behind its scheduled 2025 launch.

The reason for the delay is to allow Ford to utilise lower-cost battery technology and “take advantage of other cost breakthroughs while the market continues to develop”.

Plans to develop a three-row electric SUV were also canned to focus on introducing more hybrid drivetrains in the segment.

In an effort to take advantage of EV incentives in the US and minimise costs for buyers, Ford will relocate its joint battery manufacturing project with LG Energy Solution from Poland to Michigan.

However, Ford’s agreement with Chinese giant CATL remains unchanged despite the partnership to eventuate with the production of batteries in the future which will disqualify the electric cars they’ll power from receiving the abovementioned incentives.