Ford's Ranger-sized affordable EV ute to use right-hand drive platform

Ford has confirmed its Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, which will underpin a range of vehicles including a Ford Ranger-sized electric ute, has been engineered for right-hand drive (RHD), enabling it to underpin vehicles for the New Zealand market.

The EV underpinnings, which the automaker said it have invested US$5 billion (NZ$8.82 billion) on, are designed to be used across a range of Ford electric models, including the recently teased affordable new ute, which appears similar in size to a Ranger.

“The platform is capable of right-hand drive, but we have no specifics to share currently,” a spokesperson told media in the US, according to Ford Authority.

“The UEV is a globally capable platform, and Ford plans to export vehicles. However, we aren't sharing specifics on where and when yet.”

Ford Australia has not shared any details or confirmed if any models based on the Universal platform will be sold here; however, the RHD capability aligns with previous announcements from Ford saying the UEV will be used for export models.

The automaker has also previously said the new model would need to prove itself in the US before being offered elsewhere, with Ford releasing teaser images earlier in 2026.

More recently spied testing in the US, the ute is tipped to be badged ‘Ranchero’ when it's unveiled in 2027 and will showcase the advantages of the new platform, which Ford says include ‘gigacasting’ and other new manufacturing techniques.

Combined with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and more cost-conscious electric motors, the approach is designed to help UEV-based Fords become more price-competitive with petrol-powered cars.

"The importance of what we’re doing with our UEV platform … the innovation behind it, the way we’re sourcing, taking the complexity out – those are things that are now being shared and scaled across all of our vehicles. There’s a lot of learnings,” Andrew Frick, president of the Ford Blue and Model e EV divisions, told Automotive News.

The UEV was announced in 2025 as Ford adjusted its EV strategy, having dropped its most affordable model in the US – the Escape SUV, which was a Toyota RAV4 rival previously sold here – leaving it without a price leader.

The Escape is also no longer sold in New Zealand, with the smaller, more affordable Fiesta-based Puma SUV the smallest car in Ford New Zealand's lineup.

Ford CEO and president Jim Farley previously said the Blue Oval needs to produce more affordable models – including a move back to cars, extending beyond SUVs and utes – as part of its plans to combat the growing global competitiveness of Chinese brands.

Mr Farley visited Australia in early 2026, describing the highly competitive market here as a sign of things to come given it has few barriers for rivals, with free-trade agreements with the US, Japan, Thailand and China – and soon the European Union (EU).

“They have enough capacity in China with the existing factories to serve the entire North America market, [and] put us all out of business,” Mr Farley told CBS Sunday Morning late last year.

Ford announced earlier this year it will introduce five new models priced below US$40,000 (NZ$70,600) in the US before the end of this decade, which will include a mix of petrol, hybrid and EV powertrains.

Earlier this month, the US automaker signed a deal with Renault to use one of its platforms for a pair of EVs for Europe. These are expected to be based on the AmpR Small platform underpinning the Renault 5 E-Tech and Renault 4 E-Tech (neither currently sold in New Zealand).

The two automakers will also work together on a van, with Ford’s existing partnership with Volkswagen – which sees the Ford Transit Custom also sold as the Volkswagen Transporter in markets including New Zealand – to continue for the current generation at least.