Ford Ranger Lightning: Electric ute all but confirmed

Ford CEO Jim Farley has just announced the company has another electric ute on the way.

At a livestream event for the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning – the first electric pick-up from Ford – Farley casually told the audience there was another battery-powered ute on the way.

“We’re already pushing dirt down in Blue Oval City in Tennessee for another electric pick-up truck that’s different than this one,” Farley said during the event.

A Ford spokesperson told Jalopnik the vehicle “will be a next-gen electric truck, different from the F-150 Lightning,” which suggests the Ford Ranger could be the next model to offer a battery-electric powertrain.

The phrasing points to the forthcoming Ranger, with the new-generation model being just months away from launching in Australia and the US.

UPDATE, July 2022: New Ford Ranger review – it's here at last

The new 2023 Ford Ranger is now on sale in Australia, and the local media launch has been run. The Wheels and 4x4 Australia teams have both driven the new Ranger, and you can find their stories at the links below.

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Farley’s comments come as a senior member of Volkswagen told the UK’s Autocar an electric version of the Volkswagen Amarok was under consideration.

“We’re looking at a pure-electric version,” said Lars Krause, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle board member responsible for marketing.

“It's still early, but it's something we're considering within the lifecycle.”

Given the Amarok is essentially a restyled Ford Ranger, it’s unlikely Volkswagen would be able to consider such a vehicle unless Ford already had an electric version in development.

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“Right now, we’re not satisfied with the electric range of the plug-in hybrid. I’d never say never, but we’re looking more towards a full electric version,” Krause said.

It's thought an electric Ranger could begin production at Ford's Blue Oval City in Tennessee from as early as 2023, with an Amarok likely to follow at a later date.

“We think it's possible. Obviously, we’d need to modify certain elements. But yes, we're seriously considering an electric variant.”