Blue Oval’s electric assist tray deck will go cab-chassis as well as dual cab.

PAPERWORK Ford has to fill out over the Tasman is lending additional insight as to how the impending Ranger plug-in hybrid will deliver - and where it might feel heat from two out-of-China rivals.

An Australian Government approval filing that provides additional information about the Ford has bee subject of media scutiny.

It still leaves some blanks ahead of the battery-included variant’s mid-year launch, says a motoring website that has seen the documentation and now shared element.

However, it’s now clear that the fight for supremacy in the ute sub-sector provisioning petrol engined tray decks with plug-in electric assistance is set to be fruity, with three providers all delivering very different common theme presentations.

What’s now know about Ford’s type is that will be built in double-cab/chassis and dual-cab ute formats.

The website, Carexpert.com.au also says documents it has seen show an output of 207kW specific to the Blue Oval’s turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine, which is mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The documents don’t additionally list power outputs for electric motors. Ford has previously confirmed the Ranger PHEV uses a 75kW electric motor and some time ago stated intent to deliver 205kW and 690Nm of torque.

As the website points out, however, what’s still unclear is what the total system outputs will be, as the petrol engine and electric motor will almost certainly provide peak power at different points.

Ford New Zealand and Ford Australia have previously confirmed the PHEV uses an 11.8kWh battery sitting underneath the tub and on PHEV-specific chassis rails, aims to deliver 45km of electric-only driving range, will match the 3500kg braked towing capacity offered by the Kiwi-favoured Ranger derivatives and will offer in XLT, Sport, Wildtrak and new Stormtrak trims. Also know is that it will feature a 2.3kW power outlet in the cabin and two 3.45kW outlets in the tub.

At time of original unveil, in 2023, the Ranger PHEV appeared to be a definite trendsetter, but since then BYD has released a Shark 6 and Great Wall has announced intent to release a PHEV version of the Cannon Alpha utility in April.

These which respectively up the game, with the GWM appearing to be incrementally superior to the BYD.

The Cannon Alpha PHEV could yet become the ace buy of the three offers in this sub-set.

It’s a physically bigger rig than the others with a more powertrain that not only promises more punch, but also better electric-only range; a brief run in a China-market example late last year left positive impression.

As with Ranger PHEV, pricing is still under wraps, but GWM has a history of being competitive - not just with international marques like Ford, but also its domestic rivals.

Time will tell if BYD has got it right in siting the Shark 6 at a brash $69,990.

The Cannon Alpha mates a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 180kW of power and 380Nm of torque with a 120kW/400Nm electric motor, for total system outputs of 300kW and 750Nm.

There’s a 37.1kWh ternary lithium battery and a claimed electric-only WLTC range of up to 110km, and claimed fuel consumption of 1.7L/100km.

GWM’s plug-in ute features four-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission. Like the Ranger, it is rated to tow the benchmark 3500kg.

Shark 6 has a braked towing capacity of 2500kg and marries a 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol with two electric motors, for claimed combined outputs of 321kW and 650Nm.

Range on electric power is claimed to be around 80km, while combined driving distance is said to be above 800km. It can deliver as low as 2.0 litres per 100km economy, but only when the battery has more than 25 percent charge.

Testing in Australia has shown it to be a lot more fuel hungry otherwise; it has also raised some questions about the type’s off-roading credibility - perhaps a factor in why a launch for a handful of New Zealand journalists restricted to what participants inferred was tame gravel, and tarmac.

In Australia, BYD has signalled intent to add a 2.0-litre petrol edition that can cope with 3500kgs towing, but says that might not come for another two years.

Ranger comes in with credibility of being the top-selling ute here for 10 years straight; even through the period of Clean Car regulation that was perceived to be anti-ute, it thrived.

In some years, it has been the country’s top-selling new vehicle.

GWM is a much lower key performer and BYD has no past experience in the ute sector - though it now has plug-in hybrid tech here, it is primarily an electric vehicle specialist.

Moreover, after starting off strongly in 2023, it was whipped in 2024, with a near 75 percent decline in year-on-year sales - the same rate experienced by Tesla. All other EV providers also suffered, but nonetheless sustained much lower declines.

Shark 6 achieved 195 registrations in January and has already secured fleet interest, but that kind of count won’t rattle Ford NZ ; it considered last month a quiet period for Ranger after a cracker December, but still achieved 553 registrations, to site third strongest performer.

Thailand has been the sourcing point for all NZ-market Ranger to date, but the PHEV is coming on another boat, from another part of the world. A big factory in Silverton, South Africa, that also provisions the VW Amarok here is also the sourcing point for the PHEV.