Those eagerly anticipating a fully electric version of the country’s most popular ute, the Ford Ranger, should not hold their breath.
Speaking to media at the recent launch of the MY2026 Ford Ranger and Everest, the brand confirmed that whilst it is evaluating the prospects of a dedicated BEV Ranger ute, the technology — and customer demand — is not there yet to justify the move.
The notion of a fully electric Ranger was once considered to be just around the corner, following the launch of the F-150 Lightning BEV in the US several years ago, and the trademarking of the ‘Ranger Lightning’ moniker overseas.
But, market conditions have not been kind to the F-150 Lightning. Following underwhelming sales, Ford confirmed late last year that the model would be discontinued and that its replacement would be a plug-in hybrid with a petrol engine.
Ford Australia’s vehicle program director for the Ranger’s T6 platform, said in respect to whether Ford is looking at developing an EV Ranger that the brand is “looking at everything”. But, he noted that EV technology is not currently able to do what a diesel or plug-in hybrid can do.
