Off-road focused SUV Ford Bronco goes electric, but only in China

Ford has finally electrified the Bronco, but with a catch. Both "Bronco New Energy" models presented last week are exclusive to the Chinese market. The Chinese Bronco comes in two variants: a pure EV model with a 105-kWh battery delivering 404 miles of range, and an extended-range version with a 44-kWh battery plus a 1.5L gas engine that provides 758 miles of combined range. At 197 inches long and nearly 6,000 pounds, the new Bronco is significantly bigger and heavier than American Bronco models. The design blends Bronco Sport and full-size Bronco elements, featuring the signature boxy silhouette, prominent grille badging, rear-mounted spare tire, plus modern touches like flush door handles and LiDAR sensors.

The EV model features dual motors with all-wheel drive, delivering a combined 311 horsepower. Both versions are produced by Jiangling Ford and use lithium iron-phosphate batteries from BYD's FinDreams subsidiary, the same supplier to Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory.  While Ford has indicated extended-range EVs are coming to the U.S. market, those are still at least two years away.For American customers who had long been waiting for the electric Bronco, this is not good news. And it’s hard not to notice the irony of an American brand choosing to launch two of its newest and most innovative models exclusively in China.  Such a decision from Ford — a the quintessential American automaker and industrial behemot — is certainly not a positive signal for the (senseless and disastrous) protectionist economic policies adopted by the current U.S. administration. The Chinese models are expected to launch later this year, priced between approximately $42,000 to $55,000.