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Ford has provided another clue that an electric Ranger is in development, by trademarking the badge it would wear: Ranger Lightning.
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Ford has filed to trademark the 2023 Ford Ranger Lightning name, suggesting a much-rumoured battery-electric version of the new ute is in the works.
Spotted by CarBuzz, Ford this week filed to trademark the Ranger Lightning and Maverick Lightning names in Europe – spreading the F-150 Lightning electric pick-up’s badge into a family of battery-powered utes.
“We’re already pushing dirt down in Blue Oval City in Tennessee for another electric pickup truck that’s different than [the F-150 Lightning],” Farley said.
A Ford spokesperson told US website Jalopnik the second electric ute would be a “next-gen” model not related to the F-150 Lightning.
At the time, this was expected to refer to the Ranger, given it doesn’t go on sale in the US until next year, and the smaller car-derived Maverick has been on sale for a year – however the fact Ford has trademarked both names suggests it’s keeping its options open.
Ford is believed to be pursuing a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), set to launch in 2024 – and a strong chance for Australia, exclusive reporting by Drive suggests.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen executives have assured their new Amarok ute – twinned with the new Ranger – is also capable of electrification, with the company said to be “seriously considering” an electric model, rather than a PHEV.
While Ford has previously offered a Ranger Thunder as a special edition in Europe and South-East Asia, another option could be an additional variant of a potential Ranger Lightning (after all, thunder follows lightning) – though this is yet to be confirmed or teased.
Stay tuned to Drive for all the latest news on a possible electric 2023 Ford Ranger Lightning.
Top of story: Ford Ranger Lightning, imagined by SRK Designs.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines as a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
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