One of Ford’s newest truck offerings, the Ford Maverick hybrid, has outsold the Ford Ranger. Ford had to pause orders in January 2022 for the new pickup due to the overwhelming demand. 

After dominating the compact pickup truck segment in Quarter 1 of 2022, the pest control company Terminix announced its purchase of 90 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid pickups to use as service vehicles.

Terminix is going hybrid

Terminix plans to convert its entire sales fleet to hybrids by 2023, accounting for around 20% of its overall fleet, which is roughly 2,000 cars. The company has moved to align itself with legislation passed by the Biden administration, which aims to lessen the number of gas-powered vehicles on the road to the more eco-friendly EVs. 

However, supply chain issues, such as the semiconductor chip shortage, have plagued the automotive industry and made achieving that target challenging. Terminix still intends to electrify the majority of its sales fleet over the next year or two.

Some specs on the Ford Maverick

First, let’s talk about one of the most appealing aspects of the Maverick, the price. Consumer Reports breaks down some basic information about the Maverick. Starting MSRP is around $20,000. This is refreshing at a time when the average price of a new vehicle has surpassed $47,000. The price alone is enough to make customers clamor for this new compact truck.

However, with the lower price tag comes to some compromises. For example, the XL and XLT use a traditional key, so no push-button start and no heated side mirrors. The Maverick has traditional controls with physical buttons and knobs for almost everything, regardless of which trim you choose. No touch screens are to be found here.

As for power, it comes standard with a 2.5-liter FHEV (hybrid), a power split: electronic (CVT) continuously variable transmission, a rotary gear shift dial, and a front-wheel-drive. Options include 2.0L EcoBoost Engine, intelligent all-wheel drive, and 8-speed automatic transmission.

Ford’s plans for the future

Ford is splitting its vehicle business into two separate units: Ford Blue, for traditional gas and diesel-powered vehicles, and Ford Model E, for new electric models. They expect 40% of their sales globally to be electric vehicles by the end of this decade under a new plan to increase investment in EVs to $30 billion through 2025. 

Ford will build the next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln automobiles at two new enormous, environmentally and technologically advanced sites in Tennessee and Kentucky. The $5.6 billion mega campus in Stanton, Tennessee, called BlueOval City, will create approximately 6,000 new jobs and promises to reinvent the way vehicles and batteries are manufactured. In central Kentucky, Ford plans to build a dedicated battery manufacturing complex with SK Innovation that will create 5,000 jobs.

The Ford Maverick has found a niche in the automotive market that has been woefully missed by consumers, an affordable compact truck without all the bells and whistles. Consumer demand for the truck has far outpaced what Ford was projecting, and they are only just getting started.

Ford is taking a big gamble with its $525 million total investment across the U.S. during the next five years. It is intended to transform America’s automotive industry, but Ford is no stranger to innovation. The next five years will see the largest transformation in the automotive industry since the Model T was first introduced in 1908.