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Ford Electrifies the Bronco in China
Available as a PHEV and EV, this Bronco probably won’t be coming to the United States.
Don’t adjust your screen—this is a Bronco. Not a Bronco Sport, but this is a Chinese domestic market Bronco. More importantly, it will fall under the New Energy label, which means it's packing an electric powertrain under the skin.
Details about the pair of upcoming Bronco variants are on the lighter side because this information isn’t coming from Ford or the Ford-Jiangling Motors partnership. Instead, this intel comes from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, MIIT, website.
The sprawling spreadsheet of information does show there will be an all-electric version of the Chinese-market Bronco, and a plug-in extended-range hybrid version.
It appears the Bronco EV will sport a pair of electric drive modules. The front motor is seemingly good for 174 hp, with a 270-hp drive module at the rear. This 6,680-pound BEV Bronco will have a top speed of 106 mph.
Details about the battery and range aren’t explicitly mentioned in the sheet, but it does note this will have a lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack.
The plug-in hybrid version of this Bronco packs a 1.5-liter engine under the hood that functions as a range extender, working with what appears to be a pair of electric motors.
The information shows that the peak power of these drive modules is 174 hp in the front and 241 hp at the rear. The internal-combustion engine is good for 148 hp, but it’s hard to say whether this engine will be connected to the driveline or just work to generate electricity.
It's hard to imagine Ford will bring either of these electrified Bronco models to the United States.
It wouldn’t be out of the question for Ford to adapt some of this technology to another nameplate for the US market, but Ford would have to rethink its body-on-frame Bronco strategy if it wanted to move these unibody Broncos stateside.
Do you think Ford should add a hybrid or battery-electric Bronco to its lineup in the United States? Tell us your thoughts below.