- EREV system would pair battery pack with gasoline range-extender in series-hybrid layout
- Ford says it might deliver EV experience to full-size trucks and SUVs without price premium
- Separate report suggests it might be extended to Super Duty trucks
Ford has begun planning a series plug-in hybrid system for use in SUVs—as well as, potentially, some of its largest pickup trucks.
“Ford will be developing flexible body-on-frame and unit-body platforms that will be designed for these multi-energy powertrains that are needed given the realities of customer affordability and range requirements,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley, in the company’s Wednesday call for investors. Farley pointed to a combined range of 700 miles in an EREV (range-extended EV), which combines the range of a battery pack and gasoline-fueled range-extender.
It’s expected that such a vehicle would follow a series-hybrid format, using the internal-combustion engine as a generator, with electric motors actually powering the wheels. A plug-in hybrid version would allow for a big enough battery pack to offer substantial electric range, with the combustion engine acting as a range extender.
2025 Ford Super Duty F-250
Ford gave no arrival date for the powertrain, but according to a Tuesday report from Bloomberg this powertrain may extend to Ford’s heavy-duty trucks, badged Super Duty. It may begin appearing in larger trucks and SUVs in 2027 at the earliest, around the same time that Ford hopes to refresh its lineup of all-electric vehicles with more-affordable models, according to the report, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
Farley explained that while Ford may see a sweet spot for small and medium-sized EVs, especially as a second vehicle in the household, for larger retail electric SUVs, “the economics are unresolvable.”
“These customers have very demanding use cases for an electric vehicle—they tow, they go off-road, they take long road trips,” explained Farley. “These vehicles have worse aerodynamics and they’re very heavy, which means very large and expensive batteries.”
The CEO went on to explain that while fleet customers have proven willingness to pay extra for fully electric trucks, retail customers haven’t. But with an EREV layout, Farley, said, the incremental investment for such a vehicle, is “very minimal.” That, the CEO suggested, might enable Ford to offer EV driving attributes without a price premium.
Ford last year said that it plans to launch more hybrids and cut back on EVs in response to what the automaker views as unfavorable market conditions for all-electric models. It canceled a planned three-row electric SUV originally planned to launch this year, while announcing new midsize and full-size electric pickups for 2027 and a commercial van to be built in Ohio starting in 2026.
2025 Ford Super Duty F-250
Other automakers are looking at gasoline range extenders for trucks. The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger is set to arrive at dealerships later this year, ahead of its all-electric Ram 1500 REV counterpart, which has been delayed to 2026. The Ram 1500 is a full-size truck—the largest still classified as a light-duty vehicle—while Ford’s Super Duty trucks are classified as heavy-duty vehicles, and thus aren’t subject to the same efficiency and safety standards.
The Volkswagen Group’s new Scout brand also plans to offer an extended-range powertrain, dubbed Harvester, for its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup alongside all-electric powertrains. Both models are due in 2027.
–with reporting by Bengt Halvorson