Photo: Ford
Every once in a while, a new report on the long-awaited Bronco PHEV gets everyone and their dog talking about Ford's most fuel-efficient Bronco yet. On this occasion, MotorTrend expects the newcomer to arrive in 2024 for the 2025 model year with an 18-kWh battery pack.
How does that compare to the Wrangler 4xe? It's pretty much the same as the Jeep's 17.3-kWh unit, which can be charged at up to 7.2 kW. The high-voltage battery of the Wrangler 4xe is made by Samsung SDI, which also supplies the 14.4-kWh battery of the Escape PHEV.
The cited publication estimates a driving range of 30 miles or thereabout, meaning 48 kilometers in metric vernacular. Only available with four doors, the Wrangler 4xe is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency to cover 22 miles (35 kilometers) on a full charge. Over in Europe, the WLTP rating is 44 kilometers (make that just around 27 miles) on the combined test cycle.
MotorTrend expects the Bronco PHEV to come with four doors exclusively, which does make sense because most Broncos are ordered with four doors. Pricing? That would be approximately $55k from the outset, which is well below the clean vehicle tax credit threshold for vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks. More specifically, the sticker price of said vehicles cannot exceed $80k in order to qualify for a tax credit.
The electric motor is reportedly built into the automatic transmission. Guess what? The Wrangler 4xe's drive unit is also built into the transmission. Rather than a 10-speed unit, the Wrangler 4xe uses an eight-speed gearbox supplied by ZF. As per the Friedrichshafen-based multinational, said motor develops 100 kilowatts and 245 Nm at full song, converting to 134 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Combined with the 2.0-liter turbo inline-four engine up front, the grand total is 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm).
High-volume trims will receive the plug-in hybrid treatment first, according to MotorTrend. The cited publication correctly highlights that Ford's engineers developed the T6.2 platform of the Bronco with electrification in mind, moving the front axle mounting location forward to create much-needed space for hybrid bits and bobs. Ford has also been spotted testing electrified Broncos in and around Michigan.
Back in 2019, former big kahuna Jim Hackett made it clear that high-volume nameplates like the unibody Explorer and the Ranger-based Bronco will receive hybrid electric powertrains. The Explorer may not be available as a plug-in hybrid in the United States, but it comes exclusively as a plug-in hybrid in Europe.
The 4xe is the only Wrangler available through official channels in the Old Continent, partly because of increasingly stringent emission regulations. Fuel economy standards are getting tougher as well, with the latest ruling requiring an industry-wide fleet average of 49 mpg (4.8 l/100 km) in model year 2026.
The cited publication estimates a driving range of 30 miles or thereabout, meaning 48 kilometers in metric vernacular. Only available with four doors, the Wrangler 4xe is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency to cover 22 miles (35 kilometers) on a full charge. Over in Europe, the WLTP rating is 44 kilometers (make that just around 27 miles) on the combined test cycle.
MotorTrend expects the Bronco PHEV to come with four doors exclusively, which does make sense because most Broncos are ordered with four doors. Pricing? That would be approximately $55k from the outset, which is well below the clean vehicle tax credit threshold for vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks. More specifically, the sticker price of said vehicles cannot exceed $80k in order to qualify for a tax credit.
The electric motor is reportedly built into the automatic transmission. Guess what? The Wrangler 4xe's drive unit is also built into the transmission. Rather than a 10-speed unit, the Wrangler 4xe uses an eight-speed gearbox supplied by ZF. As per the Friedrichshafen-based multinational, said motor develops 100 kilowatts and 245 Nm at full song, converting to 134 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Combined with the 2.0-liter turbo inline-four engine up front, the grand total is 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm).
High-volume trims will receive the plug-in hybrid treatment first, according to MotorTrend. The cited publication correctly highlights that Ford's engineers developed the T6.2 platform of the Bronco with electrification in mind, moving the front axle mounting location forward to create much-needed space for hybrid bits and bobs. Ford has also been spotted testing electrified Broncos in and around Michigan.
Back in 2019, former big kahuna Jim Hackett made it clear that high-volume nameplates like the unibody Explorer and the Ranger-based Bronco will receive hybrid electric powertrains. The Explorer may not be available as a plug-in hybrid in the United States, but it comes exclusively as a plug-in hybrid in Europe.
The 4xe is the only Wrangler available through official channels in the Old Continent, partly because of increasingly stringent emission regulations. Fuel economy standards are getting tougher as well, with the latest ruling requiring an industry-wide fleet average of 49 mpg (4.8 l/100 km) in model year 2026.
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