The demand for electrified vehicles in China is great and Ford does not want to miss the boat. This is why the Dearborn manufacturer is working to expand its range there by now offering a plug-in hybrid engine for its new Equator and Equator Sport utility vehicles.
These vehicles are mid-sized utility vehicles. The Equator is a model with 6 seats and 3 rows of seats, while the Equator Sport, a little shorter (4.7 m compared to 4.9), only has 5 seats and 2 rows of seats. In short, this Chinese duo compares to the Honda Pilot and Passport that Honda offers to North American motorists.
Launched in 2021, the Equator is manufactured and marketed in China by Ford in partnership with Jiangling Motors Corp. (JMC). It was also at the Guangzhou Auto Show, which opened its doors on November 15, that Ford unveiled revamped versions of these two vehicles. New products which are now offered, not only with a gasoline engine, but also with a plug-in hybrid engine (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or PHEV, say English speakers), a very popular option for Chinese motorists.
Odds and prices that make you dream
In both cases, these vehicles, which are only offered with front-wheel drive, are powered by a 1.5L 4-cylinder gasoline turbo paired with an electric motor powered by an 18-litre lithium-iron-phosphate battery. .4 kWh from CATL, the largest Chinese battery manufacturer. The net power of this engine reaches 147 hp and, according to Ford, 14 minutes would be enough to recharge the battery from 30 to 80% using a high-speed terminal.
In electric propulsion, the Equator PHEV could travel up to 110 kilometers and the Equator Sport PHEV up to 115 kilometers, Ford claims based on the local calculation method called China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC). Ford also promises spectacular gasoline/electric range ratings because, with a full tank of gasoline and a fully charged battery, the former could travel up to 1,205 kilometers and the latter 1,324 kilometers!
But still, with such ratings, one might believe that these vehicles which have a respectable size would be unaffordable. Nay! At the Guangzhou Motor Show, Ford revealed the price ranges for this new electrified duo. Thus, the entry-level Platinum version of the 6-seater Equator is offered from 206,800 yuan (around $40,000) and the entry-level Elite version of the Equator Sport starts from 168,800 yuan ( approximately $32,500).
And to think that in Canada, Toyota offers the RAV4 plug-in hybrid (this compact model that was called RAV4 Prime until very recently) starting at $49,666; a hybrid powered by an 18.1 kWh battery and whose electric range is around 68 kilometers…
But we can continue to dream, because this duo of electrified Equators is a priori targeting the Chinese market.
Photos : Ford
The text Equator and Equator Sport, two Fords that we are not ready to see here comes from L’annuel de l’automobile – Automotive news
