2025 Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid to be built in South Africa – report

The 2025 Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid appears set to be built in a different factory to the rest of the Australian line-up – and incur an import tariff that could make it the most expensive model in the line-up.

All versions of the latest Ford Ranger to date – four-cylinder diesel, V6 diesel and twin-turbo V6 petrol – have been manufactured in Thailand, with which Australia has had a Free Trade Agreement since 2005.

However new evidence suggests the Ford Ranger petrol-electric plug-in hybrid – which can travel up to 45km on a single charge before switching to a petrol motor – due in Europe and Australia in early 2025 will be built in South Africa.

Given Australia does not yet have a Free Trade Agreement with South Africa, the Ford Ranger PHEV will be slugged with a 5 per cent import tariff – as with other cars from the region such as the Volkswagen Polo and certain BMW X3 variants – even though the new model is an "eco-friendly" variant.

Prices for the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid (PHEV) are still to be confirmed – and the company has not yet outlined which model grades will offer the option of turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid technology.

Given the $10,000 to $15,000 premium car manufacturers typically charge for plug-in hybrid models – accounting for the cost of the battery, electric motor and high-voltage components – as well as the import tariff, there is a chance the PHEV may become one of the most expensive variants in the Ford Ranger line-up.

The Ford Ranger Raptor performance ute currently tops the current line-up, at $89,190 plus on-road costs (from 1 January 2024).

The most expensive 'regular', non-special-edition model is the Platinum V6 diesel ($79,390 plus on-road costs from 1 January 2024), above the Wildtrak V6 diesel ($73,590 plus on-road costs from 1 January 2024).

Drive was first to report on plans to produce the PHEV in the Ford Ranger factory in South Africa – which also produces its Volkswagen Amarok twin for all markets including Australia, and Ford Ranger utes sold in Europe.

Now South African website Cars.co.za has added weight to Drive's reporting, citing profiles on corporate social-media platform LinkedIn for Ford engineers working on battery pack production for the Ranger PHEV in South Africa.

It has uncovered job listings posted by Ford South Africa for engineers supervising the assembly of battery packs, located near its engine factory in southern South Africa – rather than the vehicle assembly plant in the country's north.

Ford is yet to announce where the Ranger PHEV will be manufactured.

When asked in a media roundtable ahead of the unveiling of the Ford Ranger PHEV last month if it would be built in Thailand or South Africa, Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic said: "We're not going to discuss source today."

It remains to be seen if it is built in the US for North America. Ford USA has said it has no plans to introduce the Ranger PHEV unveiled in Europe and Australia, though Drive understands work has been conducted to tool the US Ranger factory for the plug-in hybrid version, as well as a PHEV variant of the related Ford Bronco 4WD built in the US.

As reported last month, the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid combines a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery pack of undisclosed capacity.

Power outputs have not been announced, though Ford has said it will produce more torque than any other Ranger variant – exceeding the 600Nm of the 3.0-litre V6 diesel – and will be capable of 45km of claimed electric driving range.

Without hybrid assistance in the South African-built VW Amarok, the 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine develops 222kW and 452Nm.