Ford Reconfirms Hybrid Bronco After Axing Passenger Car Lineup

[Bronco II]

Let's face it the ecoboost engine is here to stay. Ford has invested a lot of money into ecoboost technology and along with hybrids there here to stay. I'm on my third ecoboost and I haven't had any problems and in fact that's why I wasn't afraid to pop my money down on a 2019 Ranger.

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[OX1]

Mmmm I'm not too excited about a hybrid 4x4, even with the Jeep. I do believe that Ford has made a BIG mistake by dumping nearly the entire car line up.

One might rightly assume that battery technology will advance in the next 8 years (just like it has the past 8) and battery replacement will be available. And the Energi is EV/Hybrid/Gas. Even if the battery goes to shit, the engine and drive train keep the vehicle rolling.

So, not sure what you are getting at.

Do you fix newer cars at all? I do (not professionally), and the electrical problems can be
a nightmare. New thread on 6G stang board about cars just shutting off for no reason.
Nothing new to me, as many of the Fusion Sports do the same thing (mine has done it 3 times).
No codes for any of the fusions and no common cause that "we" can figure out.
Can't imagine what a 15 year old hybrid is going to be like to maintain.

And yes, my next DD car will not be Ford, probably Kia Stinger.
And if I like it enough, may just move to Kia when the escape is
due to get replaced. Not on purpose, it just may happen now that Ford
MADE me switch brands and I drive something else every day.

 

[Hack]

Do you fix newer cars at all? I do (not professionally), and the electrical problems can be
a nightmare. New thread on 6G stang board about cars just shutting off for no reason.
Nothing new to me, as many of the Fusion Sports do the same thing (mine has done it 3 times).
No codes for any of the fusions and no common cause that "we" can figure out.
Can't imagine what a 15 year old hybrid is going to be like to maintain.

And yes, my next DD car will not be Ford, probably Kia Stinger.
And if I like it enough, may just move to Kia when the escape is
due to get replaced. Not on purpose, it just may happen now that Ford
MADE me switch brands and I drive something else every day.

On electric cars I don't worry so much about diagnosing them. Usually you can find troubleshooting guides and following them isn't too bad. I do agree with you that electric issues can be intermittent - which is a real pain.

What I DO worry about is working on something when full power is active. Working on any part of the power train of an electric car is basically like working on a gas engine when it's running. Touch the wrong thing and you are dead.

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

FCA seems to have backed off on the idea of putting hybrids in the Rubicon Wrangler for 2020 -- mall crawler trims still get it. Customers don't want the extra complication, weight, etc. in an off road rig.

Did Ford get the same message, that simple/repairable and reliable are what appeals to the consumers interested in pushing the Bronco to its limits off road?

 

[Bronco II]

FCA seems to have backed off on the idea of putting hybrids in the Rubicon Wrangler for 2020 -- mall crawler trims still get it. Customers don't want the extra complication, weight, etc. in an off road rig.

Did Ford get the same message, that simple/repairable and reliable are what appeals to the consumers interested in pushing the Bronco to its limits off road?

FCA's partial hybrid e-torque is a half hearted public relations tool. I have read plenty about the batteries going dead extremely fast causing no start condition. The batteries are being replaced under warranty but what happens after the warranty runs out. FCA has decided not to put it into the Wrangler because Jeep is the only thing keeping them a float and the don't want to screw it up.

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

... FCA has decided not to put it into the Wrangler because Jeep is the only thing keeping them a float and the don't want to screw it up.

Strange that they're still putting them in Ram trucks then. AFAIK that's their bread and butter right now. Ram trucks sell about as many units as Jeep does Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Cherokee added together.

 

[SharpGT500]

I feel the Explorer hybrid system is what they're going to put in the bronco. It seems to be a relativity straight forward system. Time will tell on reliability.

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