Ford Bronco Lineup Adds EV and Plug-In Hybrid Models in China
The electric version has a 105-kWh battery pack, while the PHEV combines a 44-kWh battery with a gasoline engine.
It's closer to the Bronco Sport in looks, but the Bronco New Energy has a full-size spare tire on the rear like the big Bronco.
Ford hasn't introduced any type of electric or hybrid powertrain to its U.S. Bronco SUV lineup yet, but it could happen sooner rather than later if this new model for China is any indication. Called the Bronco New Energy, this new Bronco model comes either with a battery-electric setup or as a plug-in hybrid with a range-extender gasoline engine.
Ford
The Bronco New Energy appears to be closer in spirit to the unibody Bronco Sport crossover than it is to the body-on-frame Bronco, as it's a boxy four-door SUV with similar styling rather than a two- or four-door convertible with a removable roof. But it does adopt the big Bronco's hatch-mounted spare tire and looks to have decent ground clearance and chunky all-terrain tires.
The electric version comes with a 105-kWh battery pack and claims to go 403 miles on a charge, but that's likely on the more generous WLTP metric. The plug-in hybrid version has a big battery pack for a PHEV, at 44 kWh, and claims to have a 136-mile EV range and an 800-mile range on a full tank of fuel and a full battery. Its powertrain is described as a range-extender setup, meaning the gasoline engine likely acts as a generator rather than driving the wheels. We don't have detailed specs yet on either of the powertrains, so we don't know power output, but we assume that the Bronco New Energy offers all-wheel drive. One of the images also shows a Badlands badge, a trim level that brings extra off-road equipment on Bronco and Bronco Sport models.
Ford
We expect Ford will release more information on the Bronco New Energy, including interior photos and more detailed specs. It's slated to go on sale in China later this year; as for U.S. availability, we haven't heard any concrete information, but a hybrid was long promised to be part of the Bronco lineup in America, so it could be that a version of this new model could come here eventually.
Ford
Ford
Joey Capparella
Deputy Editor, Rankings Content
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City. Read full bio
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