Ford's Aussie Skunk Works
Most people might think that the Blue Oval ceased building cars here when Australian manufacturing shut down in 2016.
But that’s not quite right, as a little-known facility at the company’s former Campbellfield, Victoria, manufacturing precinct has continued to make hand-built prototypes of future Ford models.
The 1000th example of these Aussie-built future Fords recently came to light with the reveal in Germany of the Ranger PHEV (plug in hybrid electric vehicle), which is due here in mid-2025.
Our Ranger PHEVs will be built in South Africa but they trace their lineage to Ford Australia’s New Model Programs (NMP) facility, located in the old Plant 2 at Broadmeadows. The NMP team works on what Ford says are projects requiring “bespoke craftsmanship and agile manufacturing processes” – such as building engineering prototypes and ‘mules’.
The electrified Ranger combines a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine and 10-speed automatic gearbox with a 75kW electric motor and 11.8kWh battery. The combination delivers an electric-only driving range of more than 45km, while maintaining a 3500kg braked towing capacity and all the off-road capability of its ICE-powered stablemates.
Like many of its rivals, Ford Australia is scrambling to have low-emission vehicles ready for when the government’s NVES (New Vehicle Efficiency Standard) kicks in from next year.
For more, visit the Ford website.