No Plans for Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) Maverick Says Mike Levine

[LSchicago]

As someone who is in the automotive news business and has listened to Mike as long as he has worked for Ford..........

“There’s no current need for a PHEV,” Levine said. “The Maverick Hybrid is incredibly efficient and affordable. The EPA estimates that Maverick Hybrid’s total annual fuel cost is just $1,500.”

That is a statement to give foil around there may be no PHEV coming in 2024 or perhaps 2025. It's designed to do what it's doing, let pressure out of the balloon and move people onto other things - for now.

There will most likely be a PHEV as there WILL be a need for it at a point soon when California and its other following states are phasing into the Clean Cars II regulations. Once the phase in is well underway, the Maverick will not be able to be sold in any of these states UNLESS it offers a PHEV. So, there is "no current need" today, but there will be in a few years.

100% true, but he did say "no current need for a PHEV".

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[pxpaulx]

I doubt it - not many people are opting out because it is NOT awd - some are for sure but most are fine with it - it already gets 40mpg as a hybrid a very economical vehicle - it's a basic truck it doesn't warrant or need an EV option and/or AWD.

First, don't take me too seriously here!

Really though, there are plenty of members on this forum that have said not only do they want an AWD Hybrid or PHEV, but that they would trade up from the 2.0 AWD EB to get one. That is money in the bank for a business, Ford is no exception.

Mike Levine can say/hide whatever he wants, but mark my words there will be a Hybrid or PHEV AWD Maverick, unless they skip the line and go full EV.

On June 1st, 2021, nobody knew exactly what the Maverick would be. I suspect Ford doesn't have a hard time hiding drivetrain changes of future models.

 

[atomguy245]

Disagree. Yes, I might not leave EV mode in town most days but I'd like the PHEV Maverick for when I take long road trips.

Why pay the huge price premium over a regular hybrid, though? Makes no sense to me

 

[RRaynor2]

I bet most people aren't in the sweet spot for PHEV. I would be though. My Company has free charging and I live about 15 miles away. I could, with careful driving, run on EV mode for my commute. Boy do I love the punchy 2.0T though. Glad I got it.

 

[Bill K]

Love my hybrid maverick. Would quickly trade it for a hybrid AWD.

 

[JimParker256]

I get people love their mavericks but comments like this are hilarious.

yes… the only thing different between the f150 lighting and maverick is **checks notes** mpg?

Oh, no... There's also a pretty big $$ difference. But (checks notes) yep, that's pretty much the full list...

 

[Dad]

Electric companies are licking their chops at the prospects of all these vehicles plugging in. Demand is going to drive the rates up markedly unless they can keep up with the demand, which I doubt they will.

Good point, and with the increasing popularity of installing solar systems in homes, those electric companies will need a replacement revenue.

 

[GPSMan]

Good point, and with the increasing popularity of installing solar systems in homes, those electric companies will need a replacement revenue.

This...

Coupled with LED lights and self turning off appliances coupled with LED TV's instead of tubes, hell, just bought the wife the largest home refrigerator/freezer money can buy, and the thing takes like 300 watts... couple all that with an influx of rooftop solar, and power grid demands are substantially down.

Yes, power companies absolutely need and want EV's charging.

 

[Raymundo76]

PHEV aren't as efficient as we would think they "should" be.

I read an article breaking down the 3 different Toyota Rav4 vehicles- the regular, Hybrid, PHEV. Money-wise the PHEV was the worst of all of them, (by a few Thousand $$ over 5 years) when considering purchase price and gas money spent. PLUS the PHEV usually have to compromise storage space somewhere for that extra battery.

They said the hybrid was the best.

Right On!! For now a hybrid seems to make the most sense. A larger battery in the Mav hydrid may be better (or not). In about 8 to 10 years an EV of some kind may make more sense (who knows). At my age I'll stick with a Mav hybrid. LOL

 

[Mav_RICK]

I bet most people aren't in the sweet spot for PHEV. I would be though. My Company has free charging and I live about 15 miles away. I could, with careful driving, run on EV mode for my commute. Boy do I love the punchy 2.0T though. Glad I got it.

Yes I agree there is a sweet spot and you sound like you're in it.

 

[t88-supra]

I traded in my Escape plug in hybrid for my Maverick Hybrid..... I will 100% be going with a plug in hybrid the second they announce it. I was getting 230 mpg over 5200 miles average..... Absolutley loved it.

 

[Hybrid Nut]

We have a 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Ran on the same 14 gallon tank of fuel from 1st week in January to last week in April. We still had a half a tank. The car forced us to refuel when it went into burn stale fuel mode forcing the engine to run full time. Once fresh fuel was added it switched back to EV mode. No interior space was given up for the 20kwh battery as it sits in the frame rails. Its been a fantastic vehicle.

I was hoping for a plug in Maverick. I had a chevy volt before my Maverick hybrid and it was great. 60 miles of battery power. I commute 34 miles a day so had battery left over when i got home. Recharged in a 110v outlet overnight. Electricity is about a third the cost of gasoline. to go the same distance. Maybe if they come up with an electric Maverick with a 300 mile range i may get one. As long as its affordable.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

AND when places do get crazy heavy snow, there are usually plows working and the most driven streets are cleared off pretty quickly.

I grew up in Wyoming, often drove a tiny Civic on snowy mountain UT roads right before they got closed, and also have lived in upstate NY with the "lake effect snow" dumping feet at a time. I also lived in VA for a little while- and I was literally one of 5 people on the road one morning (usually MILLIONS of drivers) just outside DC after a big snowstorm.
AWD is definitely a "nice to have" but RARELY a MUST for 'most' people.

Yeah, I used to like on a hillside in draper called South Mountain where the Draper temple is. The winters up there are super rough, snow plows getting stuck in the snow kind of rough. Snowpacks building up 10-12 feet to the top of our staircase kind of rough.

So I see why some people have AWD in that area, but it's so bad, that I honestly don't think having AWD would make a difference. Saw a jeep driver break an axle from how hard he was pushing his AWD SUV to get up the hill. Axle sheared off the vehicle.

Live in the valley now, so much better. Don't have to park our car in a church parking lot and trek half a mile back and forth through the snow up 30 degree hills just to get home. It's nice. Our 2001 Windstar did the best it could, but it really struggled at times to get up there. That van had such a hard life, wrecked, stolen, started as a rental car, driven up massive hills everyday. Still made it over a decade without serious issues, and that's often considered one of Ford's least reliable cars of all time .

 

[vap0rtranz]

There’s no current need for a PHEV

Depends on who you ask.

Americans in survey aren't the same as Executives in Ivory Castles.

I heard a poll a few weeks ago on radio. Most Americans just don't want EVs right now. Yes I know EV isn't same as PHEV but point is there's hesitation.

It's all in the wording. The news reported this poll as "4 in 10 want EV, Yay!",

But there's Devil in the Details. 47% aren't likely to actually buy an EV.

The older the American, the less they want an EV. Probably Californians want EVs but the poll didn't say. Each demographic is unique.

AP coverage of the poll: https://apnews.com/article/electric...imate-change-32fd2232e6a053848ebfe7756fa21556

I was hoping for a plug in Maverick. I had a chevy volt before my Maverick hybrid and it was great. 60 miles of battery power

Same boat actually. I sold my Volt to a friend to buy the Mav Hybrid. Had 0 issues with a PHEV but needed a truck bed. PHEV is best combo option.

 

[stoptothink]

Why pay the huge price premium over a regular hybrid, though? Makes no sense to me

+1 Long road trips is exactly where PHEVs are the worst. You are carrying around all that extra weight for no benefit on long highway drives. PHEVs generally are slightly less fuel efficient on the highway. If most of your driving is <30 mile trips, a PHEV might be a cost-efficient option over time.

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