To say that the Ford F-150 Lightning has stirred up the world of full-size pickup trucks would be a massive understatement. From hardcore internal combustion enthusiasts to EV lovers, this new electric truck certainly stirs up all kinds of attention. However, the question now stands, when will the electric Ford Ranger join the fold?

Oddly enough, a new report by CarBuzz citing Hans Schep, the General Manager Commercial Vehicles for Ford of Europe, has the answer. While it certainly won’t arrive on the heels of the Lightning, this electric midsize truck might arrive sooner than you think. Additionally, an electric truck at a lower price point might be the best way to entice those hardcore internal combustion fans.

When will the electric Ford Ranger arrive?

If you’ve been waiting on an electric Ford Ranger, you won’t have to wait much longer. According to CarBuzz, this electrified model could arrive sometime before 2025. This makes sense considering that Ford plans to begin deliveries of the Lightning in 2022. As a result, we may see an official unveil before that projected 2025 date.

If you think about it, an electric Ford Ranger makes sense from two key angles. Firstly, there is no denying that the brand-new Lightning is expensive, despite its sub-$40,000 base price. At that price point, it’s about $10,000 more expensive than a base internal combustion model. When you get into the higher trim levels, you’ll quickly surpass $50,000 and $60,000.

As a result, a midsize version with a price-point closer to $30,000 and excellent range could be a way to entice your average internal combustion truck buyer. More importantly, it would allow a new generation of EV lovers to access the brand instead of going for one of the many other electric trucks available.

This truck started out as a plug-in hybrid

According to CarBuzz, this electric Ford Ranger didn’t start life as a full EV. In fact, CarBuzz reports that the original plan was to develop a plug-in hybrid version of the midsize truck that would work well across various global markets. However, strict European emissions regulations have pretty much killed this idea. Aside from the research and development costs associated with the hybrid, it’ll need replacing relatively soon regardless.

As it stands, the next-generation Ford Ranger is being developed alongside the upcoming Volkswagen Amarok. While this might be a bit of a weird pair, CarBuzz reports that this could lead to significantly lower production costs. If this is the case, perhaps the new electric variant could reach that aforementioned target close to $30,000.

How much power will the electric Ford Ranger have?

Since the arrival of the electric Ford Ranger is so far in the future, we don’t know anything relating to how much power it will produce. However, we can certainly look at the new Lightning for clues. That’s because the base Lightning develops 426 hp while an Extended Range variant puts out 563 hp. Since the midsize model likely won’t step on the toes of the flagship, expect a slightly lower hp figure. Regardless of when it’ll come out, more information is bound to leak soon.