Ford Ranger EV
| Ford Ranger EV | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Ford Motor Company |
| Production Years: | 1998–2003 |
| Production Quanty: | 1,500 |
| Predecessor: | None |
| Class: | Compact Battery Electric Pickup Truck |
| Drive wheels | Rear |
| Motor location: | Rear |
| Traction Motor: | Alternating current |
| Controller cooling: | Liquid |
| Charger: | Onboard 220 VAC |
| Charging connector: | Avcon paddle |
| Charger cooling: | Liquid |
| Opportunity charging: | Not provided |
| Charge time | Eight hours to full, some for Hawiian rental fleets provided with fast charging capability |
| Battery cooling: | Liquid heat pump cooled using the air conditioning system |
| Pack voltage: | ? |
| Battery type: | AGM Lead Acid or Nickel Metal Hydride |
| Battery capacity: | About 30KWH (NiMH) |
| Battery location: | In trays between frame rails |
| Range: | 40 miles PbA, 65 miles NiMH |
| Maximum speed: | 80 MPH (computer limited) |
| Milage: | 485 miles/100KWH |
| Transmission: | 3:1 single speed reduction integrated with motor and differential |
| Axles: | Halfshafts with constant velocity joints, DeDion tube on leaf springs, some with Watts linkage |
| Similar: | Ford Ranger (4WD) |
| Included: | Heater, AC, PS, PB, AM/FM, Antilock Brakes, SRS Bags and Three-Point Belts for Driver and Passenger, SRS Passenger Disable Switch, Tonneau Cover, Aluminum Wheels (5) with Full Size Spare, Low Rolling Resistance Tires |
| Bed load capacity: | About 700 lb |
| This article is part of the Ford automobile series. | |
The Ford Ranger EV (Electric Vehicle) is a battery electric vehicle produced by Ford Motor Company. It was produced starting in the 1998 model year through 2003 and is no longer in production. It is built upon a light truck chassies used in the Ford Ranger. A few vehicles with Lead-Acid batteries were sold, but most units were leased for fleet use. A few persistent and interested private parties were able to obtain leases over a period of three to five years. All leases were terminated in 2003-04, and the vehicles recalled.
Nickle Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries offered
In California and some limited areas outside of California a NiMH (Nickle-metal hydride) battery version was offered, but only for lease. This version delivered a true 65 mile range (normal operation with some reserve; in comparison the lead-acid version is said to have a range of about 40 miles).
Early life problems
There were numerous problems with the NiMH ranger associated with an inability to accept a charge in hot environmental conditions, and some other problems requiring replacement of major components, but Ford successfully addressed these problems early in the vehicle's life cycle. There were some range issues around the 25,000 mile service life with NiMH and due to the great expense of these batteries, Ford elected not to fix this range problem (a valid response under the lease terms). Some lessees elected to continue the lease despite the shorter range.
Performance
Considering the single speed transmission, performance is surprisingly acceptable. Early versions through the 1999 model year were programmed for a higher accelleration than later models, which could advertise a higher EPA milage.
External appearance
The appearance of the front charging door in a grille location that is open on ICE rangers, and the visiblity of the EV's unique rear suspension and the traction motor from behind the vehicle are the principle identifiers indicating that this is an electric Ranger. From the side the vehicle is almost indistinguishable from the ICE Ranger except for a modest script Electric on the side. Only the slight projection of the battery trays below the frame rails was noticeable at a distance.
Instruments
A miles to go indicator is accurate only when the battery system was performing to specification, otherwise it may mislead the driver. A state of charge indicator is in the place of the normal fuel gage but with underperforming batteries cannot be relied upon owing to its tendency to decline from a full charge to about 3/4 and then drop to empty within a mile or two.
An off-run electric gauge will come up to the run position in a few seconds after Start is commanded by a keyswitch turn. This appears to show the pack voltage applied to the main bus upon contact closure and the time delay probably reflects the charging of the motor controller's input capacitors.
The usual speedometer and odometer complete the analog portion of the instrument panel.
Various indicator lights are included, one of which indicates that the truck is plugged in for charging. This is interlocked with the start circuit, disabling it if the Avcon paddle is inserted.
Charging
Charging is through an Avcon conductive paddle, provided beneath a hinged door to the vehicle's right side of the grill. A NiMH pack would take six to eight hours to charge, storing about 30 KWH.
Controls
Ford attempted to make the driving and operating experience as similar as possible to that experienced in an ICE vehicle with automatic transmission. A selector operates similar to that for an automatic transmission with the following positions:
- Park
- Reverse
- Neutral
- Drive
- Economy
The economy position will reduce the maximum speed available, will also reduce the throttle response, and will engage energy recovery, and so is useful for long downgrades and when approaching a stop or for start and stop traffic. Drive is normally used only for freeway use.
A conventional switch arrangement is used to provide key inserted detection, Accessory, Run, and Start.
Other controls are identical to that of the ICE version.
The heating system uses a ceramic core resistance heater. Air conditioning is provided with an electric-motor driven compressor-condenser-evaporator system.
Chassies
The Ford Ranger EV was built upon a Ford Ranger four wheel drive chassies.
Battery trays
Batteries are contained in two battery modules that are bolted to the underside of the vehicle and can be removed using specialized shop equipment. Individual batteries are then serviced and replaced from the open top of the module. The modules are not identical. The rear module was a single layer of batteries in a box that fit between the frame rails and under the truck bed forward of the rear axle. The forward module was shorter and had batteries at two levels, a small number of upper batteries fitting into a bump-up at the rear of the cab, behind the bench seat.
Front suspension
Dual A arm with coil springs and shock absorbers (same as Ranger 2WD)
Rear suspension
The rear suspension consists of a De Dion tube that located the wheels and which was sprung by the usual longitudinal leaf springs. As the first year production (1998) used lightweight carbon fiber leaf springs, which were insufficiently resistant to to transversely locate of the deDion tube, these early versions also contained a Watts linkage. Later versions used conventional steel leaf springs and did not require the addional linkage.
Driveline
The rear wheels are powered by an alternating current motor operating through a (single speed) three to one reduction and differential. The motor, transmission, and differential are contained in a single cylindrical unit mounted high between the frame rails, transversely between the rear wheels. Half shafts angle downward to drive the wheels. (The high mounting is required for suspension travel clearance for the DeDion tube).
Tires and wheels
All wheels including the spare are cast aluminum. Tires are low rolling resistance, similar to what would be found on a full size sedan, rather than the typical truck tire.
Component layout
The front under-hood compartment contains the charger, an electric air conditioner, the power steering mechanism, the power brake unit (otherwise conventional), a radiator for the air conditioner, and a vacuum pump and reservoir for the power brakes and a reservoir for the windshield washer. Charger and battery liquid cooling service is performed here but is not an owner-operator service item.
To the rear of the rear axle (the usual location for the spare tire) is the AC motor controller. The spare tire could be carried at a station within the truck bed. The spare tire is poorly located within the bed relative to its inefficient use of bed space.
Bed cover
In the interest of improved aerodynamics the bed is covered by a snap on cover supported by aluminum bows. Snap receivers slide within aluminum channels. A rear bow allows the tailgate to be opened without removing the cover. The cover can be quite difficult to re-snap under cold conditions due to shrinkage and stiffness of the vinyl material.
Charger, battery, and motor controller thermal management
The batteries and various electrical components are liquid cooled and this liquid is in turn cooled by the air conditioning system during charging. The motor controller is also liquid cooled.
Energy recovery
On a very long downhill run one could obtain a noticeably higher state of charge than at the top (3000 ft. elevation difference), so the energy recovery was demonstrably effective.
Economy
Power consumption for light duty suburban use is around 500 watt-hours per mile, both by the EPA figures for early models and by some owner's experience.
Some offered in 2005 via lottery
It was expected that Ford, like other companies, would completely destroy almost all remaining stocks by crushing, has has been done by several other major vehicle manufactures. Instead, while most of the 1500 vehicles produced have been destroyed a number of the Ranger EV's have been parted out for spares and the remaining two hundred units, have been refurbished (probably using selected used batteries rather than new) and other salvage components (both with lead-acid and NiMH batteries) by a third party (Blue Sky Motors of Sacramento, California) and are being offered without warantee to former leaseholders (one per leaseholder) for purchase by lottery - see Ford's official website and this news article. A thirty mile initial range is promised. Some former NiMH Ranger operators have expressed surprise that any vehicles are being released with NiMH due to the extremely high cost of replacement of cells and packs, nor is it yet clear what would need to be changed within the vehicle to use other batteries such as PbA or NiCad. Neither is it known at this time what the response has been, nor what odds of winning are. These vehicles will be offered to the "winners" with an opportunity to inspect and test drive their designated vehicle, but there will be no opportunity to select an alternative to the one designated for that particular customer. Any vehicles not disposed of via the lottery will be placed on the market at "market price", whatever that means. Since only 200 are being released to this lottery of 1500 produced, critics of William Clay Ford Jr. may assume that this is another example of Ford Motor Company greenwashing a situation for public relations purposes, rather than satisfying the true needs of urban and suburban motorists through production of suitable vehicles similar to the second generation Th!nk_City, which was touted but never introduced to the United States.