Hybrid Ranger revealed: 2.3L PHEV / PowerBoost Hybrid... coming to Bronco?

[adam1991]

Not if you live in a house and have enough space in your panel to add an additional breaker for a charger.

you mean, people have garages that don't include any electric outlets at all?

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[Brian_B]

So,

I would be interested in a PHEV Bronco.

I have no idea why they could do a ranger but couldn't do a Bronco - not like the Ranger has a lot of extra empty space for that battery that a 4D bronco doesn't have...

But yeah, the power point stuff that @adam1991 mentions is very intriguing, and would be right up an overlander's alley

There's also the Toyota/Dodge angle, where they aren't necessarily using the electric motor for efficiency, they are using it for additional low end torque. Those low-RPM situations where your engine isn't in a good spot in the power band - the electric motor kicks in a few ft-lbs to help it out. Really - who wouldn't like an extra 100 ft-lb of torque available... ~at idle~

As far as the plug-in angle.... These mild hybrids usually have pretty small batteries. Really the only reason they are plug-in at all is so they can qualify for tax incentives. The 4xe is 17kWh, the Tacoma is 1.9 kWh... which makes the Jeep one look absolutely massive. (A pure EV has somewhere around 60-200 kWh). But the larger the battery you have - the more of that overlanding benefit you get. For reference - larger portable units like Jackery and Bluetti cap out around 2-3kWh (you can get "home" models that are larger)

Which leads to two points -
a) It doesn't take a big battery. Jeep likely just has that large so they can try to goose fuel efficiency metrics. To provide torque you don't need anything large at all -- 2 kWh could fit inside the lower rear cargo compartment next to the jack.

b) Since it's small, plug-in wouldn't need a "fast" charger. A 17 kWh battery could go from dead to full in about 10 hours on a standard 110V outlet - and the Toyota one in around an hour. @adam1991 was a bit flippant in his reply - full EV's do benefit greatly from Level 2 (and faster) chargers, that often require dedicated electrical services... but a mild hybrid with a smaller battery pack wouldn't benefit really from it.

 

[Roger123]

you mean, people have garages that don't include any electric outlets at all?

Most people have none or one for the dryer (220V). You’ll be charging for awhile with a 15 Amp 120V.

 

[adam1991]

Most people have none or one for the dryer (220V). You’ll be charging for awhile with a 15 Amp 120V.

dryer? In the garage? You mean no outlets at all?

Regarding your "15 amp" comment: you do realize, don't you, that we're talking about PHEV here. All you need for an overnight fill is a 15 amp 120v outlet.

PHEV is not EV.

 

[adam1991]

There's also the Toyota/Dodge angle, where they aren't necessarily using the electric motor for efficiency, they are using it for additional low end torque.

actually, all hybrids do this. They tune the engine for higher end power vs low end grunt, while allowing the grunt off the line to come from the electric motor. Look up Atkinson cycle.

It's not either/or. The efficiency comes from having an ICE that isn't compromised into being an off the line sprinter as well as a long legged marathoner. Tuning the ICE for the long legged part lets it do that BETTER and more efficiently.

A hybrid is a wonderful thing. PHEV even better. And Ford knows how to do this, because long ago they partnered with Toyota on the technology.

One thing Ford does that Toyota doesn't in their PHEV: they give the driver the granular control, via button, to direct the system to do one of the following:

• use all battery and don't use gas until you absolutely have to
• use all gas and don't use battery at all--conserve it for later
• allow the system to operate automatically (which is the only way Toyota does it)

Source: I own a C-Max Energi, and previously owned a Prius for 220K miles.

There are circumstance people want that kind of control, and the Bronco could absolutely benefit from that. Imagine filling up the battery at home and telling the system, "don't use that--preserve it for me, just use gas" while you drive to the campsite. That PHEV battery is good for only 25-30 miles on the road, but it's plenty big to run lights at the campsite for quite awhile.

 

[burgerking]

Having had a jeep wrangler 4xe Rubicon. I am all for it. The 4xe gives you the power of the 392 wrangler but with much better mpg if your able to charge it daily.

It's got the torque but not the horsepower

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