Ford Bronco EV Electric Off Road Capabilities with Bronco Heritage
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Ford has recently filed a patent that has kicked off a new round of Bronco Lightning speculation and gives us even more reasons to be excited about the all-electric SUV. The patent documents, which were just shared to the Lightning Owners Forum, describe a roof-mounted battery backup for EVs in great detail. The idea is a combination of a Thule roof box and those little battery banks many of us carry around in case our phone dies. Ford has attempted to tackle a problem that is especially relevant for off-road EVs, which travel far away from traditional charging infrastructure. However, the patent does raise some concerns over how youd actually lift the battery bank on and off if youre an average Joe and not an Olympic powerlifter. Hopefully, Ford has some clever solutions to this problem. What is most interesting about the patent is that the drawings show the battery system atop a 4-door Ford Bronco, leading us to believe that a Bronco Lightning is just around the corner. We will take a look at some exciting features you can expect from a 2025 Ford Bronco Lightning, including the intriguing roof-mounted battery pack.
Related: Off-Road Beast: 10 Essential Mods For The Ford Bronco
The New Electric Bronco Will Rival Other Electric SUVs
The Ford Bronco Lightning will charge in full-force to compete directly with other electric SUVs currently on the market. Its sleek retro-inspired design, impressive performance, and cutting-edge technology will grab the attention of customers currently interested in the Hummer EV or Rivian R1T and R1S. Jeep is another worthy adversary, with the all-electric Recon poised to take on the off-road EV world with many of the same features we saw in the Wrangler 4xe PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). Ford aims to provide a vehicle that can do everything a Wrangler or Recon can. The Bronco is the only other SUV on the market with removable body panels, but unlike the Wrangler, it retains its side-mirrors while the doors are off. These functional features are an outdoorsy-persons delight and give it a one-up on the competition.
We can expect the Bronco Lightning to take on many of the same design choices of the F-150 Lightning. Like Fords electric truck, the Bronco Lightning will deliver just about everything a gas-powered Bronco does, but with an all-electric powertrain. The two Lightning badged vehicles will likely share the same dual-motor and all-wheel drive setup. As a result, they will have similarly impressive power outputs. The current F-150 Lightning offers 452 horsepower with the Standard Range battery, and pushes it to 580 hp with the Extended Range battery. Meanwhile, the peak torque is a mighty 775 lb-ft. The horsepower and torque outputs of the Bronco Lightning will be in the same range or maybe even higher. The electric SUV will definitely pack a serious punch, both off-road and on.
Related: How This California-based Startup Is Making 600 Horsepower Electric Broncos
The Bronco EV Will Have A Cutting-Edge Roof-Mounted Battery
Like the F-150 Lightning, we can expect the Bronco Lightning to offer multiple battery options. The F-150 Lightnings 98.0-kWh Standard Range battery has a range of roughly 230 miles on a full charge. The upgraded 131.0-kWh Extended Range battery increases the range to 320 miles on a full charge. The 2025 Bronco is still a ways away, however, and battery technology is only getting better. Depending on which package your Bronco is equipped with, it could be in this range or even higher. Many off-road enthusiasts are wary of EVs because of their limited range and the inaccessibility of charging infrastructure in certain areas. This is never a good combination, but is especially bad when driving to remote areas. Nobody wants to be stuck in the desert at 0 percent. This is where Fords roof-mounted battery comes in. We could see the roof-mounted battery offered as an additional package on the Ford Bronco Lightning that will finally put range anxiety to bed. Simply plug the battery into your charging port for some extra juice, and youre back on the road.
The roof-mounted battery will be an exciting new feature, but it does come with some concerns. Weight is the biggest worry. Batteries are known to be heavy, which raises questions about the strength of the roof rack and the overall structural integrity of the vehicle. Additionally, there is a potential risk of rollover if the battery makes the vehicle top-heavy. Electric cars generally have a low center of gravity, but that may not be enough to save it from tipping over. Not only that, but the question remains if the roof-mounted battery will be removable. It seems like that would be one of its main selling points, but lifting such a heavy battery on and off the roof of the vehicle doesnt seem feasible. Maybe mounting and removing it would be a service performed only by a Ford specialist or dealer. That remains to be seen, but the extended range of an external battery bank is still an exciting feature. We could even see this feature implemented on other electric vehicles in Fords lineup.
Another standout feature of the F-150 Lightning, which is likely to be carried over to the Bronco Lightning, is its ability to be used as a backup source of power. Ford claims that a fully charged F-150 can supply up to three days of electricity for the average household in the event of a power outage. The Bronco may be able to power your house for even longer if it has the roof-mounted battery option. This feature is also useful for powering campsites or outdoor activities, further enhancing the Bronco Lightnings appeal to outdoor enthusiasts.
When it comes to actually charging your 2025 Bronco Lightning, you will still be able to use 110 and 220-volt outlets for home charging, as well as DC fast-charging stations for more rapid top-ups. Ford has adopted the J1772 plug as the current standard for their vehicles, but that may change in the coming years. Both Ford and GM have recently announced future compatibility with Teslas NACS (North American Charging Standard) instead of the global CCS (Combined Charging System). This would drastically improve the accessibility of charging infrastructure.
Related: This Ford F-150 Lightning Raptor Concept Adds Some Much-Needed Excitement To EVs
The 2025 Bronco Lightning Will Keep Its Retro-Inspired Design
The Bronco Lightning is expected to look much like its ICE counterpart, but with a few design changes to set it apart. The electric SUVs front end will feature a grille inspired by the F-150 Lightning. This ventless grille design improves aerodynamics to maximize the Broncos range. The Bronco will offer plenty of storage space, and no more bulky engine up front means that you will get additional space under the hood. The front trunk, or frunk, will be an excellent place to store your gear for long adventures.
Inside the Bronco Lightning, the design will once again closely resemble the ICE version and feature Fords latest on-board technology. We can expect the Bronco to feature a vertical touch screen like the one found in Fords other electric vehicles such as the Mustang Mach E and F-150 Lightning. Standard features such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, in-dash navigation, and a Wi-Fi hotspot are expected, along with the latest safety features to ensure a comfortable and secure driving experience.
As the electric vehicle market continues to grow, the 2025 Ford Bronco Lightning is poised to be a strong contender in the electric SUV segment. The Bronco Lightning promises to offer a unique and exciting driving experience for both off-road enthusiasts and electric vehicle enthusiasts alike. The potential for a roof-mounted battery system is particularly exciting, and could be a real game-changer in the world of EV.
Ford Bronco Hybrid: Everything we know thus far
Update: Bronco production & sales, and On the Bronco Sport Hybrid sections updated.
Former Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett confirmed that the Blue Oval would make a Ford Bronco Hybrid during the companys annual shareholder meeting in 2019. However, few official details are available, with neither executives nor the company providing further information.
Heres everything that has been reported on the Bronco Hybrid, and our general expectations on the specifications and release date:
New Bronco derivatives
The Bronco family has a wide appeal, with numerous configurations available and plans for even more. At the Bank of America 2023 Automotive Summit on April 5th, Jim Baumbick, VP of Product Development Operations and Quality at Ford, described the Bronco as a winning party and suggested that additional derivatives would be developed to capitalize on its early success.
So theres three examples on the screen here, with Everglades, the Raptor, and Heritage, all distinctly going after different customers. This is just the start. We have a ton more coming. And on Bronco, were never going to let the foot off the throttle pedal. We have a ton of opportunity in different spaces to speak to different customers.
Jim Baumbick, Vice President Product Development Operations and Quality, Ford (Bank of Americas 2023 Automotive Summit on April 5, 2023)
In addition to various styles and levels of off-road capabilities, the Bronco twins will also have derivatives focused on eco-friendliness in the future. This includes the highly anticipated hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.
Owners manual confirms future Ford Bronco Hybrid
Ford released its owners manual before beginning sales of the gas-powered Bronco two- and four-door midsize SUVs. The original 550-page document reaffirmed that the company has planned a Bronco hybrid for a commercial launch. There are two citations of the hybrid variant, first in the Storing Your Vehicle section and again in the Scheduled Maintenance section.
The first section talked about leaving the Bronco Hybrid unused for a period of more than 30 days. In such a case, owners should keep the traction batterys state of charge (SoC) at approximately 50%, and its recommended to disconnect the auxiliary battery as that would reduce the load on the traction battery.
We recommend the following actions for your vehicle:
When storing your vehicle for greater than 30 days the state of charge should be approximately 50%. Additionally we recommend disconnecting the 12V battery which will reduce system loads on the HV battery.
2021 Ford Bronco Owners Manual
Stating that the driver can control the state of charge (SoC), Ford suggests that the future Bronco Hybrid is a plug-in variant (PHEV).
The 2022 Ford Bronco Owners Manual mentions HEV and PHEV guidance related to the vehicles automatic climate control system. In a short note, it says:
For Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) vehicles, the blower motor may run, and you may feel airflow when the climate control is off, to provide cooling to the battery.
2022 Ford Bronco Owners Manual
Theres an indication of a hybrid variant in the owners manuals of the 2023 Ford Bronco and 2024 Ford Bronco as well:
Your vehicle comes with the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor system, a message appears in the instrument cluster display at the proper oil change interval. This interval may be up to one year or 10,000 mi (16,000 km), hybrid vehicles could exceed 10,000 mi (16,000 km).
2023 Ford Bronco Owners Manual and 2024 Ford Bronco Owners Manual
On the Ford Bronco Hybrid
It is said that Ford conceived the sixth-gen Bronco with partial electrification in mind. Seeing the unsatisfactory mpg figures of the gas model, many customers must be looking forward to a Bronco Hybrid. Depending on the configuration selected, the gas model delivers a combined fuel economy of 15-20 MPG.
The reasonable, and dare we say, logical expectation for the Ford Bronco Hybrid (which shares its ladder-frame construction with the Ranger pickup) is the sharing of electrical hardware with the F-150 and Explorer hybrids.
A 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 engine with an electric motor and a modular 10-speed transmission could be an ideal combination for the Bronco Hybrid. Combined with a 47 hp electric motor from the F-150, a healthy system output of 450 hp was expected on the Ford Bronco Hybrid.
Ford Bronco Plug-in Hybrid powertrain
Now that the owners manual hints at a plug-in hybrid powertrain, this future electrified Bronco could allow customers to use the EV mode to cover a whole days drive without emissions. Ford could introduce the Bronco Plug-in Hybrid with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine and the 35 kW motor of the F-150 Powerboost full-hybrid. The total system horsepower could be close to 350 hp, and the battery pack may allow a practical EV range of 30-40 miles.
The Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid also has a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine under the hood. Based on an updated version of the platform that underpins the Ford Bronco, the plug-in hybrid pickup truck has a targeted towing capacity of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs.) the same as its gas-powered donor model. Ford estimates the Ranger Plug-in Hybrid will deliver a pure electric range of more than 45 km (28 miles), as per WLTP.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe became Americas top-selling PHEV immediately after its introduction. As of September 30, 2023, it holds that position. The demand would have made Ford aware of the potential for a rugged mid-size plug-in hybrid SUV.
Ford Bronco facelift
On May 22, 2023, Ford held its capital markets day. Kumar Galhotra, the President of the Ford Blue division, said at the event that the average age of Ford Blue models, which are the Blue Ovals ICE vehicles, is four years.
Galhotra revealed that 60% of Ford Blue models will get a major (full model change) or moderate (facelift) level of freshening between 2023 and 2024. Introduced in July 2020, the sixth-gen Bronco and the first-ever Bronco Sport should arrive in their respective facelifted avatars at U.S. dealerships in the second half of 2024. Galhotra also stated that Ford Blue will expand its hybrid powertrain offerings, which we think will lead to the launch of electrified Bronco twins this year, or next year (MY2025 or MY2026 Bronco).
On the Ford Bronco Sport Hybrid
As for the Ford Bronco Sport Hybrid, reports state that it will employ the Ford Escape Hybrids powertrain, which makes sense given the softer Bronco sits on the monocoque platform of the Escape. This system includes a 2.5-liter iVCT Atkinson cycle gas engine coupled with an eCVT.
Ford offers the Escape Hybrid in FWD and AWD, both with a combined power of 192 hp. A Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid with a 2.5-liter iVCT Atkinson cycle gas engine and eCVT is also available, but only in FWD. The total system power in the plug-in hybrid variant of the Escape is 210 hp.
When Motor Authority reviewed the Bronco Sport, they managed a fuel economy of 23 mpg in mixed suburban driving, almost the same level as the EPA rating (21 mpg City/26 mpg Highway/23 mpg Combined). Motor Authority wrote that the Escapes hybrid powertrain on the Ford Bronco Sport Hybrid would largely improve efficiency. The 2023 Escape Hybrids EPA-estimated fuel economy is 39 mpg (combined) in both FWD and AWD.
Ford has begun testing camouflaged prototypes of the Bronco Sport facelift in the U.S. Spy photos show that Ford is developing a larger touchscreen (similar to the 13.2-inch display from the Escape) for the future Bronco Sport, which is likely to upgrade to the latest Ford SYNC4 infotainment software. Besides a reorganized dashboard that may see fewer physical controls, the 2025 Bronco Sport is also expected with tweaked bumpers, grille, and wheels. Well have to wait until later this year to learn if the hybrid configuration is part of the facelift.
Expected trims
The Ford Bronco Hybrid and Ford Bronco Sport Hybrid should come in a few variants, but those will include Badlands. In the case of the former, Wildtrak is a given. In 2021, Ford said it received more than 190,000 reservations for the Bronco, and approximately 26% of reservations were in the Wildtrak trim, which is exclusive to the frame SUV, Autoblog reported on October 23, 2020. About 20% of orders were in the Badlands trim, and the remaining orders were in the other available trims.
Release Date
The Ford Bronco Hybrid and Ford Bronco Sport Hybrid could debut in 2024, as per a report Automotive News published on August 28, 2022. Competitors will include the Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEV and the Land Rover Defender PHEV. The Bronco twins are part of the Blue Ovals strategy to have hybrid electric variants for high-volume models, and if not MY2025, they are expected to be part of the subsequent model years.
Bronco production & sales
The Ford Bronco Hybrid and Ford Bronco Sport Hybrid production should occur alongside their respective combustion-engined counterparts. Ford manufactures the Bronco (both 2-door and 4-door) at the Michigan Assembly Plant (USA) and the Bronco Sport at the Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant (Mexico).
While the Bronco Sport is seeing improving demand, sales of the Bronco dipped in 2023. Last year, Ford shipped 105,665 units of the Bronco, and 127,476 units of the Bronco Sport. Compared to 2022, these figures are -9.7% and 28.1%, respectively.
The Ford Bronco has only two direct competitors if we exclude the outdated 4Runner the Jeep Wrangler, and the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser. However, an all-new Toyota 4Runner is expected later this year. Hence, the Ford Bronco will face increased competition and timely electrification could be key to maintaining an edge in the segment.
Electric Ford Bronco on the horizon
The timing couldnt be better for electrifying the Bronco model line. Ford may release the first details of a hybrid powertrain for its new off-road SUVs by the end of 2023, but thats not all. The company has hinted at a Ford Bronco EV launch that could compete with the Jeep Recon. Ford president and CEO Jim Farley, suggested with a reply on Twitter in May 2021 that the company is contemplating a zero-emission Bronco. He said Why do you think we dont? when asked by Twitter handle Powered by Tesla why there isnt an EV option on the Bronco.
A few days later, Hau Thai-Tang, former chief industrial platform officer, Ford, teased a Bronco EV that strengthen speculations. Thai-Tang revealed that Ford is making a new rear-wheel drive/all-wheel drive BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) flexible architecture. He said that future models the new dedicated BEV platform would underpin include rugged SUVs for our adventure-seeking customers. While mentioning rugged SUVs, the above teaser played, indicating that he was referring to an Electric Ford Bronco:
Our new rear-wheel drive/all-wheel drive BEV flexible architecture will underpin a range of emotive vehicles slated for production between now and 2030, including active lifestyle vehicles with great driving dynamics, cargo vehicles for those whole value space and versatility for their commercial needs, pickups delivering legendary Built Ford Tough capability on mid-size trucks, rugged SUVs for our adventure-seeking customers, and high-margin, high-demand larger two- and three-row SUVs for families around the world, like (Ford) Explorer, and Lincoln Aviator.
Hau Thai-Tang, former chief industrial platform officer, Ford (Delivering Ford+/Capital Markets Day 2021)
On August 21, 2021, Ford North America Product Communications director Mike Levine posted a picture of the Bronco 4-door along with the 2004 Bronco concept and two classic Broncos on Twitter. In response, Twitter user Ben Sullins expressed his wish for a Bronco EV, saying, if they were only electric. Levine replied tweeting the outline teaser shown above and a thinking face emoji, hinting that a Bronco EV is an actual project in the company.
Ford Model e division
Ford has separated its EV business from the ICE vehicle business to accelerate its race to carbon neutrality. The company has created three new businesses with distinct identities: Ford Model e, Ford Blue, and Ford Pro. Ford Model e and Ford Blue handle retail sales of EVs and combustion-engined vehicles, respectively. Ford Pro focuses on commercial and government sales of both EVs and combustion vehicles. This separation comes after the Blue Oval succeeded with small, project-based teams that developed the Ford GT, Mustang Mach-E, and F-150 Lightning as well as the separate EV division in China.
No electrification in the MY2024 Bronco family
Ford recently released the 2024 Bronco Sport and 2024 Bronco in the U.S., both without electrification. The MY2024 update to the Bronco series is all about new options, colors, grade and equipment changes, and a special edition. Prices start at USD 31,230 (excl. USD 1,595 destination charges) for the 2024 Bronco Sport and USD 39,130 (excl. USD 1,895 destination charges) for the 2024 Bronco.
For a brief overview of whats new for 2024, the Bronco Sport has received a Free Wheeling special edition trim, a Black Appearance package option, and Azure Gray Tinted Clearcoat and Desert Sand colors. The Bronco has seen the comeback of the Everglades trim and gained a Code Orange package, Shelter Green and Velocity Blue colors, and four new 17-inch wheel options.
TopElectricSUV says
Theres one area where the new Bronco models need to improve seriously: efficiency. Introducing a hybrid option will address that concern, making them more appealing to a wider audience. For a small premium, these hybrid models could offer big gains in fuel cost savings in the long run.
A Mechanical Engineer by qualification, I started out as an automotive editor of a regional magazine in 2011. In my 11 years of experience in creating automotive content, Ive traveled around the world to review, analyze and report on the worlds top electrified cars.
