by Ford is making a bold statement about its new Ranger Plug-In Hybrid. For many buyers, this pickup truck could replace an entire device they have been carrying with them for years. According to the automaker, customers who rely on portable generators at construction sites, events, or remote jobs may no longer need them thanks to the Pro Power Onboard system in the Ranger PHEV. If Ford’s testing is accurate, the pickup not only replaces the generator but surpasses it in almost all meaningful categories.
However, for North American readers, there is a nuance. The Ranger PHEV is sold in Europe, the UK, and Australia, and Ford currently has no plans to release it in the US.
How Ford conducted the calculations
The company recently ran a series of tests at its engineering center in Danton, England, comparing a typical 4 kW (5.3 hp) portable gasoline generator with the 6.9 kW (9.2 hp) Pro Power Onboard system in the Ranger PHEV. Ford says it chose a range of common use scenarios, including charging power tool batteries, running heaters, boiling a kettle, and maintaining higher electrical loads over an extended period.
The comparison focused on emissions and fuel consumption. This is a key point because most people do not realize how much pollution a conventional generator creates, being relatively inefficient. According to Ford, the generator in their test produced significantly higher levels of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons than the Ranger PHEV when generating a similar amount of electricity.
Ford
In some scenarios, the generator’s nitrogen oxide emissions were more than 9,000 times higher, and carbon monoxide emissions exceeded the pickup’s by more than 1,200 times. These numbers are crucial because, while generators are not required to meet automotive emissions standards, cars, pickups, and SUVs are. This is where things like catalytic converters, fuel management systems, and the Ranger’s emissions reduction technologies make a big difference.
Fuel consumption tells a similar story
Fuel consumption may be even more important to customers. Ford tested the Ranger PHEV under several operating conditions: with a full battery, with an empty battery and cold engine, and with an empty battery and warm engine. In each case, according to Ford, the pickup consumed less fuel than the standalone generator while delivering 4 kW of power. When the pickup was fully warmed up and used the battery as a buffer, fuel consumption was reportedly reduced to about a third of the generator’s consumption.
Ford’s data requires independent verification
Of course, Ford has every reason to emphasize the advantages of its latest electrified pickup, and independent testing would be needed to confirm the results. Nevertheless, if real-world results are close to Ford’s data, the biggest innovation of the Ranger PHEV may turn out to be not its plug-in hybrid powertrain. It could be the fact that it allows some owners to completely abandon another fuel-burning device.
Interestingly, such a comparison highlights how much stricter environmental standards are for vehicles compared to other equipment. While generators are often seen as a necessary tool, their environmental impact can be significant. If the Pro Power Onboard technology is truly as effective as Ford claims, it could be a strong argument for switching to hybrid pickups not only for fuel savings but also for reducing the overall ‘ecological footprint’ at the workplace. However, final conclusions can only be drawn after independent testing under real-world operating conditions.
