Ford Bronco EV Sort Of Announced By Company Boss On Twitter

It will do battle with an inevitable all-electric Wrangler.

By: Adrian Padeanu

May 11, 2021 at 3:52am ET

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It was only a few days ago when details emerged about the Ford Bronco's higher final power figures and now the Blue Oval is sharing additional details about the off-roader's powertrains

Well, perhaps it's not official news per se, but a message on social media straight from the company's boss is the next best thing. When asked on Twitter why Ford doesn't have any plans for a zero-emissions version, Jim Farley responded: "Why do you think we don't?"

A battery-powered Bronco isn't such a wild idea considering Jeep is one step ahead with its Wrangler Magneto EV concept. A production version is a question of when rather than if, and Ford certainly wants to go after the Wrangler on all fronts. Having engineered the Mustang Mach-E and the forthcoming F-150 Lightning, it's safe to say the company has the necessary expertise for a Bronco without a combustion engine.

Before a fully electric variant happens, a hybrid derivative is likely in the works. A leaked video – which has since been removed – showed the Bronco's fully digital instrument cluster featuring an EV Coaching mode. Ford has yet to confirm a hybridized specification of the much-hyped SUV, but an educated guess tells us that mode is likely reserved for a plug-in hybrid model set to offer an undisclosed electric range. When the PHEV version does eventually arrive, it'll do battle with the Wrangler 4xe.

Based on an unconfirmed report from last August, the Bronco hybrid will allegedly pair a 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine with an electric motor and a ten-speed automatic transmission. It's said to have somewhere in the region of 450 horsepower (336 kilowatts) and debut later this year for the 2022MY. Aside from fighting the Wrangler 4xe, the electrified Bronco will also rival the Land Rover Defender PHEV.

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The fact Ford is looking to diversify the Bronco lineup – which will also include a beefy Warthog model – is no surprise since dealers are building 100 dedicated stores. Bronco / Bronco Sport is evolving into a sub-brand and the Dearborn-based company wants to lure in more buyers by offering them additional choices. Eventually, one of those options will be an all-electric Bronco.

Sadly, a right-hand-drive version is currently not part of Ford's expansion plan for the Bronco, and the same thing can be said about the Bronco Sport-based Maverick pickup truck coming soon.