Ford's CEO Confirms That a Hybrid Version of the Bronco and Other Models Are in the Works

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African-Rain-Blesser@reddit

They'd probably need to develop a new hybrid powertrain if they're aiming for MPGs. The existing 2.5L for the C2 platform is way too underpowered for something as heavy as a Bronco, and the 3.5TT hybrid in the F150 is more for extra performance than it is for MPGs. They'd probably need something along the same vein as the Land Cruiser's 2.4T hybrid.

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shawizkid@reddit

I don’t get why they don’t use the 2.7 in the f-150 powerboost.

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ducky21@reddit

Because then it has the same problem the 2.7L does: you're constantly in boost while towing, and the entire marketing push about the PowerBoost has been its towing capacity.

Selling a hybrid with similar MPG to the ICE trucks but with better tow rating is fine. Selling a hybrid with worse MPG to the ICE (hybrid does absolutely nothing towing at 70 MPH) and worse tow rating than the 5.0L is a recipe for a pointless product. Why would anyone pick that?

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shawizkid@reddit

What?

The 3.5pb way outperforms the 3.5eb in terms of fuel economy.

And the 2.7eb outperforms the 3.5eb in terms of fuel economy.

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ducky21@reddit

I see you linked Fuelly data in another comment. You have completely ignored my point, because you are so eager to be correct, where I qualified my statement with "while towing."

I don't give a fuck what an unladen truck does; as far as I'm concerned, every mile in an unloaded truck is a mile that could have been spent in something more efficient to begin with.

I wanted to specifically focus on performance while towing, because that's what Ford focuses on in the PowerBoost's marketing materials.

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shawizkid@reddit

Wow. Didn’t know you’d react to my comment so emotionally.

Anyway. You mean marketing material like this? the one that yes, does boast about towing capacity AND fuel economy / range?

Given you’re an automotive enthusiast and on this sub, I imagine you realize there’s a lot more to towing capacity beyond power numbers. Because I’m sure you’re already aware that the 3.5eb out-toes the 3.5pb.

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BruteNugz@reddit

I’m not the person you responded to but you’re right about less towing. It’s because the battery’s/motor added weight to the same suspension, frame, and brakes. My wife’s explorer has the 3.5 TT. She’s due for an upgrade and was thinking a Denali since they switched the explorer to 3.0TT and the engine doesn’t seem as aggressive when I test drove it. Saying far away from that GM 6.2 tho. Does anyone know how the newer 3.0TT holds up?

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daddudee@reddit

The 3.0TT is definitely faster than the previous gen 3.5.

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BruteNugz@reddit

I know it is faster, I saw the numbers! What I was trying to say was it didn’t feel as raw or throaty in the test drive. I was just wondering what people thought about reliability on the next gen motor.

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onlyranchmefries@reddit

3.0 is a nano engine. Same block as the 2.7 just aluminum instead of cgi. Semi closed deck. Definitely a more robust design than the 3.5. I'd be much more worried about transmission longevity than engine.

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shawizkid@reddit

Funny you should ask. My wife has a 22 explorer st. I’d describe it as “sneaky” fast. It doesn’t feel that quick. But whenever I put my foot into it for a second or two and the lift and check the speedo, I think “oh shit, I shouldn’t be going this fast!”

It’s been a good vehicle. And as a current (and longtime) GM truck owner, I’d say I’d trust it over anything the general is offering today.

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Pitiful-Mobile-3144@reddit

Plus the Bronco (and Jeep/4runner) aren’t really made to tow, the wheelbase and suspension setup aren’t designed for heavy towing like a truck. You’d lose the MPG and gain none of the benefits

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skorps@reddit

Yeah my 2.7 wildtrak has a pitiful tow rating. 3500lbs i think

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Pitiful-Mobile-3144@reddit

Same as my jeep, like 3,500lbs. Payload isn’t great either

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Metal_LinksV2@reddit

Having owned both a 2.7 and now a 3.5 F150, they get the same MPG at highway speeds(65-85 around me). The 2.7 only got better mileage if you set the cruise to 55(the top mount oil filter was also nice)

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ducky21@reddit

Is that while unloaded or loaded/towing? I worded my comment very precisely.

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shawizkid@reddit

That maybe true. I can’t not comment.

But the average fuel economy in real world use, the 2.7 vastly outperforms the 3.5 over large datasets.

https://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/f-150?engineconfig_id=102&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

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TopHatTony11@reddit

Powerboost is a 3.5

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shawizkid@reddit

I’m aware. Which is what I’m wondering?

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Option420s@reddit

The 2.5 would be pretty sweet in the bronco sport at least

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

Yeah, I honestly don't understand why it doesn't have the 2.5 at this point. The Maverick built in the same plant on the same platform has had it since 2021. And the Escape for even longer.

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jakeuten@reddit

I would assume either packaging or capacity. For awhile they had extremely long wait times for the hybrid Maverick (which I'm sure you're aware of). The Bronco Sport is likely more popular with actual consumers (whereas the Escape is probably more fleet biased sales-wise) and I think that would lead to a lot of customers going for a hybrid Bronco Sport.

The powertrain is also extremely efficient in town, I have no doubt it would exceed the efficiency of everything but the 26 RAV4.

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TenguBlade@reddit

It’s a capacity thing - specifically, battery production capacity. Ford has been trying to allocate batteries to EV production first, and the cancellation of the Lightning wasn’t really pre-planned.

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jakeuten@reddit

It's a great powertrain. I wouldn't trade it for either EB option.

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African-Rain-Blesser@reddit

That should be a no brainer since it's the same C2 platform

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sponge_welder@reddit

I desperately want a transit connect with the 2.5 hybrid - basically a Honda element with good gas mileage

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

They're supposedly working on it.

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BayLAGOON@reddit

The Land Cruiser 2.4T is a hybrid in the same sense as the 3.5 Powerboost, less priority on efficiency and more focus on power, with the same engine-electric motor-transmission sandwich setup.

No idea how this is going to work for the Bronco, unless they adjust the tuning on the 3.5PB to not outgun the Bronco Raptor, or parts bin the 3.3 from the Explorer Hybrid.

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elan_alan@reddit

Idk man. I had the Powerboost F150 and I would haul ass without a care in the world and still get about 21-22 mpg. I could hypermile in the city and get 28-30 mpg. I could get 25-26 on the highway. And this is from a 6000lbs brick.

Have you seen the typical bronco mpg!? It’s hilarious bad.

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scoobyless@reddit

There’s a 2.0T hybrid in the Nautilus, but it probably needs to be reworked to a longitudinal application. Maybe reintroduction of the 3.3 in the Explorer HEV or the 3.0TT from the Aviator PHEV?

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Loki240SX@reddit

The bigger issue is lack of viable hybrid transmission for the Bronco platform.

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flapsmcgee@reddit

The explorer and F-150 both have hybrids with 10 speed transmissions...

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TheDarkRider@reddit

Those aren’t really off road applications like the bronco I don’t know if that transfer case could handle articulation the bronco suspension goes though

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henchman171@reddit

Toyota just does electric only in rear

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RyanOfTheVille@reddit

On the land cruiser? Are you sure?

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henchman171@reddit

Sorry. I was thinking Highlander RAV4 Sienna. I forgot about the true off roaders

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Fordfanatic2025@reddit

Agreed, the 2.5 is reliable as fuck, just never level, love mine. But it wouldn't be a good fit for something as heavy as a bronco.

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AdventurousDress576@reddit

The Ranger is available as a plugin Hybrid and is built on the same platform.

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jeffh19@reddit

I skimmed the post and I saw the last line say “Cruiser’s 2.4T…” and had a mini panic attack

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

It might be similar to the Ranger PHEV setup in other markets with a 1-2 kwh battery.

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diethyl2o@reddit

I’d love a Bronco Sport hybrid with 38+ MPG and a spare tire.

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HurricaneCat5@reddit

The bronco in china is full EV.. why would I want the worst of both worlds?

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SavageryRox@reddit

Bronco Sport* is full EV in China.

This thread is about the full-size Bronco.

completely different vehicles.

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HurricaneCat5@reddit

Full size bronco is electric too

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SavageryRox@reddit

source? A full size EV Bronco for China doesn't seem to exist on the Internet.

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Raiderx87@reddit

A quick Google search shows China's version is actually bigger than the US Bronco.

"Measuring in at 77.0 inches wide and 197.0 inches long, with a 116.1-inch wheelbase, the Bronco EV is massive compared to its ICE counterparts. The Bronco Sport is just 74.3 inches wide and 172.7 inches long, by comparison. The bigger Bronco has a matching wheelbase, but it’s still only 75.9 inches wide and 189.4 inches long. In fact, the new Bronco EV is about as large as a three-row Kia EV9."

https://www.motor1.com/news/766109/ford-bronco-ev-china/

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SavageryRox@reddit

holy lack of trading comprehension.

We are talking about offroad oriented SUVs. The version China gets is not a Wrangler or 4runner competitor.

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Captain_Alaska@reddit

The Chinese EV Bronco is full size but it’s completely unrelated to the full size USDM Bronco

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SavageryRox@reddit

We mean the BOF off-road oriented Bronco that competes with the 4Runner and Wrangler. the Bronco they get in China isn't even close.

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kstetter@reddit

Bronco New Energy* is full EV in China.

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Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy@reddit

This is such an exhausting take that is only popular on Reddit.

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HurricaneCat5@reddit

Elaborate please

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Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy@reddit

It's simply not "the worst of both worlds" as an end user.

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V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit

Chinese Bronco is just a reshape Territory, so it’s their Bronco Sport.

Anyway, consider America is behind in EV world, making full EV version Bronco for America is not a good business decision.

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HurricaneCat5@reddit

There hasn’t been a good business decision from legacy automakers in 40 years..

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HurricaneCat5@reddit

So there’s a full size “bronco” EV in china?

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Gobbledygooker316@reddit

Interesting. I own a Bronco and am approaching the end of its warranty, and I’ve been eyeing a GX 550 for my next car (waiting for it to get within my budget) but a hybrid Bronco might convince me to wait.

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Apfaehler22@reddit

EREV system would be kinda cool. New f150 is in development right now too. But bronco shares platforms with the ranger so probably not.

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randeus@reddit

I want to finally see a Hybrid Coyote car tbh.

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Riverrattpei@reddit

They had a patent back in 2019 for a 5.0 with electric motors bolted to the side of it for AWD

But I'm 95% sure that was killed alongside the CD6 Mustang, unless they bring it back for that rumoured Mustang Sedan

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avoidhugeships@reddit

Gross

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SmokinTires@reddit

How about the Coyote in the Bronco, Explorer, and the Expedition?

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marksocials97@reddit

Put a 5.0 in the Explorer ST !

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MechMeister@reddit

A 30mpg 2 door bronco hybrid would be incredible.

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trackdaybruh@reddit

Won’t be possible with Bronco’s aerodynamics

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narwhal_breeder@reddit

I don’t think that’s realistic. In non-EV mode, the 4xe can only manage 20mpg combined. I think 25mpg combined would be a reasonable expectation, heavily loaded towards city mileage while still getting abysmal highway.

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MechMeister@reddit

The 4xe was a terrible design with a motor sandwiched in the bell housing and a belt driven 48v motor. Ford can most certainly do better, especially a REV

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Captain_Alaska@reddit

Ford can most certainly do better, especially a REV

That would be even less efficient.

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African-Rain-Blesser@reddit

Doesn't the LC also put the electric motor into the bell housing? Is there a way to still provide a mechanical 4WD setup without doing that?

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CorrectCombination11@reddit

Yup, the traction motor is behind the engine and in front of the transmission. I get 30 MPG on the highway when it's warm out.

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narwhal_breeder@reddit

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect Tacoma hybrid figures.

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peakdecline@reddit

There's zero chance Ford does an EREV for the Bronco application. There's simply no room in the vehicle to do it. Hell I doubt they even do a 2-door regular hybrid Bronco... even a small battery pack like you find in the F-150 Powerboost has no place to go in a 2-door Bronco.

Your hopes are just far too optimistic, frankly. I would expect any hybrid going into the Bronco to be a similar design to how we see with the other BOF hybrids including Ford's own. Where the motor is indeed sandwiched between the transmission and engine.

Its simply the best packaging option and it works with the existing 4WD systems without massive redesign work.

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FentmaxxerActual@reddit

Only so much you can do with all that mass, aerodynamics of a brick shithouse, and massive tires. I'd be surprised if it breaks 22mpg combined.

Even Toyota, the master of hybrids, struggles to get meaningful efficiency gains out of their BoF truck/SUV hybrids. The chassis themselves are just too inefficient.

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Plastic_Willow734@reddit

Gonna be hard to beat the box shape, it’ll be hybrid but get 2 more combined mpg like the Tacoma or Jeep 4xE. Great if your commute is just across town though

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t0dax@reddit

Only $90k msrp plus $30k dealer markup! My dealer said as long as I can pay $899/month for the next 18 years I can afford it!

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AftermaThXCVII@reddit

I'd still love a hybrid ecoboost Mustang. Having even better mpg in a sporty car would appeal to a lot more people I'd bet, especially with higher gas prices globally at the moment.

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AddressRadiant8768@reddit

industry_insider

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rockinadios@reddit

Just let me plug in a Maverick and get like 50 miles of electric. I'd do anything

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daxelkurtz@reddit

Most of my driving is <20mi roundtrip. Give me a PHEV offroader with that range, and I don't really care that it gets <20mpg the rest of the time.

(I would own a 4xe if it wasn't a 4xe)

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DrMacintosh01@reddit

Ford wonders why sales are down and yet they keep making products like the Bronco. Ford doesn't even sell a car, and their cheapest vehicle is over $30,000. Nobody can afford a Ford! Ford could revive an economy car, like the Taurus, start it at like $27-28k and offer a hybrid option. But no they can only sell USVs and Crossovers.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

Apparently the Expedition/Navigator hybrid is slated for the mid-cycle refresh.

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TripleShotPls@reddit

I mean, about time.