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Ford Ranger PHEV review: Is Ford’s plug-in pickup up to the job?

July 11, 2025 Phil Huff

Does ditching diesel in favour of a petrol-electric plug-in make sense for Britain’s most popular pickup?

The Ford Ranger dominates the pickup scene, occasionally taking more than 50% of the market share, despite strong competition from the likes of the Toyota Hilux and Volkswagen Amarok. Even the latter isn’t a big issue for Ford, as the Amarok is a Ranger underneath, built in Ford’s factory in South Africa, so it’s still getting money from every sale.

However, there hasn’t been much movement towards more sustainable versions of pickups. Yes, there’s the Maxus T90 EV, but that barely qualifies as a car, let alone a working pickup. KGM is bringing the Musso EV to the UK soon, but that’s a compact pickup with a small payload.

Ford is a long way from going all-electric with the Ranger, but it’s making one bold change: it’s dropping the 2.0-litre diesel engine and replacing it with this, a plug-in petrol hybrid version. Does ditching diesel compromise the UK’s leading pickup?

Ford Ranger PHEV battery, motor and performance

Diesel has ruled pickup power forever, so switching to a petrol engine backed up by an electric motor is quite a controversial move. Read the forums and message boards, and it’s not a concept that’s winning many fans, but the reality is that it makes perfect sense — for most.

The engine is a 2.3-litre unit that has seen action in various Fords, including the Focus ST and Mustang. Alongside that is an electric motor powered by an 11.8kWh battery pack. In a truck that edges close to 2.5 tonnes, that’s enough for a pure-electric range of 26 miles. That’s not huge, but enough for the daily needs of more than half of Ranger buyers, according to Ford’s data.

We did better, getting around 15 miles from a 50% charge. We then recovered 5% by using the petrol engine to charge the battery as we drove, which impacts economy a little. That said, we averaged almost 50mpg overall — way better than any Ranger that’s gone before. Keep going, relying on just the petrol engine, and expect sub-30mpg, though.

There’s no rapid charging, but the small battery pack will be fully charged in around four hours even using a regular three-pin socket, so overnight charges (or when it’s left on site while you’re working) are a breeze.

Combined, the two power units produce 277bhp and 514lb ft of torque. That’s second in power only to the sporty Ranger Raptor and more torquey than any Ranger that’s gone before. It feels it, too, although that’s in the context of being a massive multi-tonne block on wheels. You can barrel along at motorway speeds without issue and won’t be left behind by any other vans or pickups on the twistier bits.

The Ranger PHEV is just as capable off road as its diesel predecessor

Off-road, it’s as capable as any other Ranger, with the novelty of crunching through a forest and hearing branches cracking and mud squelching thanks to the lack of engine noise. The engine kicks in in low range, and there’s a locking rear diff to help with trickier stuff, but you’ll get a long way without those.

Design, interior and technology

While there are big changes under the surface, nothing has changed on the outside, bar a second filler flap on the flank. One lets you fill the 70-litre petrol tank, while the other (with a handy lightning flash on it) reveals the Type 2 plug.

The front is still a blunt, upright slab, but it’s less aggressive than most pickups. The Wildtrak and special Stormtrak versions get LED C-clamp lights, while the workhorse XLT model makes do with light bulbs — and is better looking for it, to this reviewer’s eyes.

Inside, the only obvious change is a button to control the EV modes. You can let the Ranger decide when to use electric power, save the battery for later, use the engine to charge the battery, or drive on electric power only.

The plug-in Ranger shares its smart, hight-tech cabin with the diesel model

Beyond that, there’s the usual large infotainment screen mounted vertically in the centre of a stylish and rugged-looking dashboard. There’s everything you need in there: chunky steering wheel? Check. Handy phone slot? Check. Large cupholders? Check. More cupholders? Er, check. Physical controls for climate control? Yes! Check!

Put the interior into a middle-of-the-road SUV, and you’ll be pretty happy.

Ford Ranger PHEV payload and practicality

Ford says there’s been no compromise with the Ranger PHEV. It’ll still carry a tonne, tow 3.5 tonnes, and the load box is as long and wide as ever. But there are a few caveats.

The load box is 3cm shallower to accommodate the battery pack that’s underneath. That’s unlikely to make a significant difference to most users, as there’s still around 47cm depth, but it’s something to be aware of.

More critical is the payload. Yes, it will carry a tonne, so you can claim the VAT back easily if you’re a business buyer. However, to achieve that, you have to sacrifice the sports bar, side steps, roof rails, and more. They’re all no-cost options on the Wildtrak, but adding them drops you below that vital 1,000kg limit. Style or function? That depends on whether you’re a business or private buyer…

Price and specification

There’s a £2,500 premium for picking the PHEV, but the Ranger prices have risen a fair bit recently anyway. That means you’ll need to find £44,900 plus VAT and charges for the Wildtrak. The XLT is cheaper, at £39,500, and is (almost) a bit of a bargain, although you lose the heated seats and swish leather steering wheel and have to make do with manual air conditioning.

The PHEV-exclusive Stormtrak model has seemingly every option box ticked, but you pay the price for some extra style at £49,800.

For company car drivers, the switch to the PHEV makes an enormous difference to your tax bill, cutting it by more than 40%. Where a Wildtrak 2.0-litre would see a 40% taxpayer hit with a charge of around £7,700 a year, the PHECV cuts that to £4,400.

Traditionalists won’t like the switch to electric assistance, but emissions targets and UK taxation changes have forced Ford’s hand. Happily, it’s all worked out, as the PHEV is an utterly convincing proposition.

Yes, it won’t suit everybody. If you’re towing trailers up and down the country each day, then the diesel will be your best bet, and Ford is keeping the beefy 3.0-litre V6 diesel in production. For everybody else — including professional and private buyers — the switch to PHEV brings plenty of benefits and only a little compromise.