2024 Bronco refresh?

[North7]

Ford has been testing a Bronco plug-in hybrid for a long time.

PHEV plug-in hybrid Bronco testing?

https://fordauthority.com/2021/11/is-this-a-prototype-of-the-ford-bronco-plug-in-hybrid/amp/

More than one possible Ford Bronco plug-in hybrid model has been spotted by Ford Authority spies in recent months, including what appeared to be a Ford Bronco Raptor PHEV (formerly known as the Warthog) back in March, as well as a possible electrified Bronco Everglades this past June. Both of those prototypes wore an orange high voltage (HV) cable, typically used in hybrid vehicles, and now, Ford Authority spies have spotted yet another possible Ford Bronco plug-in hybrid driving around Metro Detroit.

This two-door Badlands model certainly has a couple of unusual features, including the spray-painted “tow hooks” in the front bumper that are in fact open-ended. What signals that this could be a potential PHEV, however, is the conveniently-placed camo located on the rear passenger side of the Bronco. This small piece of camo could be concealing a possible charging port location, but that’s pure speculation, of course.

Sponsored

 

[Lakelife36]

Refresh usually coincides with new body stamping tooling. Once the tooling wears, there will be an update.

I've never heard that, but this sort of thing makes a lot of sense. So it's as much about units produced as it is about model years between? Within reason of course.

 

[buck_6G]

I'd love a hybrid with a user removable battery. So that way if your going on a fun trip, remove the battery so you can get more range due to decreased weight. Doing your daily driving to and from work? Add the battery back in. Simple. Everyone wins. No one has done it yet though. But the main complaints over the Jeep 4xe is that hybridization decreases off road range due to increased weight after it runs out of juice. Especially on uphill climbs. Pure EVs can't escape the same issue and gives me too much range anxiety. But the gas mileage on current Broncos is atrocious (POV of someone who driven nothing but sedans his whole life).

The 4xe battery pack weighs 900lbs. Even if it weighed the same as a regular car battery, there would be a ton of safety issues in permitting drivers to easily access and disconnect/reconnect an extremely high voltage power source like that. Maybe solid state batteries will reach a point in the distant future where the energy density accommodates this sort of portability, but the current generation of batteries is extremely large and heavy.

A hybrid powertrain, PHEV or mild hybrid, is to reduce cost per mile driven and emissions. Assuming you don't decrease the fuel tank size, that should translate into better range. In the case of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4xe, the emphasis seems to be on cost reduction over range - though having two sources of motive power does afford a driver more options to extend range along the way if needed.

Fuel tank / range:
Wrangler Unlimited: 21.5 gallons (range using EPA combined estimate: 451 miles)
Wrangler Unlimited 4xe: 17.2 gallons (range using EPA mpge: 370 miles gas only, 370 hybrid)

Cost and relative range - more info. Cost, of course, is relative - PHEV drive trains are far more complex and expensive to maintain over the life of a vehicle. I'll say this as a Wrangler and Tacoma owner both: Jeeps are made with less care than the last dump I took. I have little confidence that an electrified Wrangler would last even half as long as an ICE version, or cost me less in the long run. If I'm only keeping it for a few years, sure, I'll happily zip around in a PHEV because it's less likely I'll be footing the bill for costly repairs.

TL;DR: at least in the class of vehicle we're talking about, you definitely take a hit on uninterrupted driving range by switching to a less energy-dense fuel, but for the vast majority of drivers, trips where you deplete the entire fuel tank are very few and far between. I'd much rather plug in at home for running around town, spend a little time at a charger a few times a year on road trips, than eat the fuel cost difference - but that's just my personal preference.

 

[Sherminiator]

Or looking at Ford, the SN95 mustangs looked god awful in the 90s, but the New Edge refresh in the 2000s totally saved the design.

The New Edge Mustangs are fucking awful-Lets square out the body but not touch the roof line that was carry over. Or add a bunch of Jc Witney scoops and other BS to an already terrible design.

The New Edge design that Ford had in the late 1990 did not age WELL at all. It was short lived, thank god.

 

[JBlanco]

Facts: Given that they fired the plant manager (Ford needs a scapegoat) and they hired a quality control guru, (opinionwe can only hope the 2024 model has a somewhat improved quality.

 

[Sherminiator]

I unexpectedly became a hybrid owner last summer after the MIC top issues then my ADM shitshow at the dealership.

I winded up buying my Brother in Laws 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid to get me around. Keep in mind this is a first gen product and when I got it, it had 215K miles on it. He got it serviced at one of the local Ford dealerships so I had all the records also.

He had zero issues with drivetrain with it and neither did I when I sold it (I only added about 2.5K miles to it). The battery charged fine and I was getting 30+ MPG around town with it. The CVT transmission was better then other gas only ones I've drove. Performance was ok, but I have a bit of a lead foot and I was coming from a tuned 2013 Taurus SHO.

If/when the Bronco gets a hybrid, I'd expect to get a 2.3L I4 with the powerboost setup. Performance would be similar to the 2.7L with better MPGs. I was looking at the Wrangler Xe setup and part of the reason it weighs so much is that it has additional motors in it. The Powerboost has an electric motor built into the transmission and I don't think Ford would add the additional motors that replace the differential on the Wrangler Xe. From what Jeep did, it looks like they went for more power instead of better MPGs with it.

 

[MannyG20]

IMO the earliest refresh will be 2025 with 2026 a strong possibility.

 

[Sherminiator]

I just don't see the point of an off-road hybrid. You get 20 -30 miles of electric range, then you are carrying a heavy lead (er... lithium) block as dead weight on the trail. Maybe in an OB mall crawler, but not in the 'Squatch trim, or BD, BL, etc.

Depends-the Powerboost battery is only rated at 1.5 kWh and the Escape Hybrid battery is only about 120Lbs at 14.4Kwh..so I'd assume the Powerboost battery doesn't weigh as much.

The XE battery is 280 at 17Khw...so all that additional weight is coming from other parts of the hybrid system on it.

 

[dingle87]

I just don't see the point of an off-road hybrid. You get 20 -30 miles of electric range, then you are carrying a heavy lead (er... lithium) block as dead weight on the trail. Maybe in an OB mall crawler, but not in the 'Squatch trim, or BD, BL, etc.

The Wrangler/Bronco is a heavy brick with big tires on it. It will have shitty gas mileage. It's heavy so it doesn't break on the trail.

Call a spade a spade and get on with life. Adding a battery and electric motor to it is sort of silly.

Sure, but for me and many like me, who won't be on the trails nearly as much as they'd like to be, we'd welcome a hybrid option to give us an option for around town usage. Let's say I want capability of BD (which I do), but I can't use that capability except for certain trips I can take 3-4 times/year, then I'd like a hybrid for my short commute in the burbs. I do understand that in other parts of our country hybrid/EV doesn't make much sense for people. I see that and respect that viewpoint, but in the end... we all don't live the same lives in the same areas of our country.

For me and I think many others, they'd like the option simply to balance out the usage of this vehicle and what makes sense in their daily lives. Yeah, I'd love to use that capability 50% of the time, but that's just not my reality, so if I can purchase something that gives me the best of both worlds then it's a better use of my hard earned money. It's why I'm still considering an F150 Powerboost (hybrid) too. I don't need the truck bed every day, but I like to have that capability at the drop of a hat too.

 

[Lakelife36]

I just don't see the point of an off-road hybrid. You get 20 -30 miles of electric range, then you are carrying a heavy lead (er... lithium) block as dead weight on the trail. Maybe in an OB mall crawler, but not in the 'Squatch trim, or BD, BL, etc.

The Wrangler/Bronco is a heavy brick with big tires on it. It will have shitty gas mileage. It's heavy so it doesn't break on the trail.

Call a spade a spade and get on with life. Adding a battery and electric motor to it is sort of silly.

That's a plug-in hybrid, not a hybrid. There are very big differences in battery weight between the two. Also even once the power is "out" for all-electric they generally still have modes that assist the ICE.

 

[Pseudoko]

I don't think there will be a refresh until a MY26. a 2026 refresh would be in line with a 60 year anniversary so might sound logical. They'll add models like a hybrid or PHEV (or both) possibly by 2024 as others have noted and maybe just add a few features now that they've collected data... like rear seat cupholders and better dome lights for the rear haha. 2024 will probably be the year broncos will be available readily on the lot for purchase assuming the predictions that supply chain issues should get better by next year.

 

[Lil Red Broncette]

2024, 2025 or 2026 whenever refresh be, I expect if ford follows pattern of being "true" to the name, it will end up being a unibody crossover style, primary FWD with limited AWD. About as much tribute to the Bronco line as a Mustang Mach E is a tribute to the Mustang line.

 

[dingle87]

2024, 2025 or 2026 whenever refresh be, I expect if ford follows pattern of being "true" to the name, it will end up being a unibody crossover style, primary FWD with limited AWD. About as much tribute to the Bronco line as a Mustang Mach E is a tribute to the Mustang line.

Boy, I hope you're wrong on that prediction.

edit: Don't they already have that ability with the Bronco Sport? Just wondering out loud after reading it again.

 

[Sherminiator]

edit: Don't they already have that ability with the Bronco Sport? Just wondering out loud after reading it again.

You are correct...the Bronco will still be a Bronco as long as the Ranger is around to spilt costs with.

Sponsored