Even as the Ford+ Plan has the carmaker putting in bigger investments in electric vehicles, attention has not diminished for vehicles with combustion engines. Particularly with pick-up trucks, which Ford is a leader in, there is continued development with sustainable clean energy solutions being explored.
At the SCORE International Baja 1000 – one of the toughest off-road races in the world – Ford Performance will enter a new Ranger Raptor running on a low-carbon biofuel, demonstrating the potential of these fuels in the most demanding environments.
The vehicle has been developed and built in Australia, and US-based Lovell Racing will also contribute to development as well as race the truck at Baja later this month. The Ranger Raptor will use Shell’s one-third blend of biofuel – with its mix of ethanol and bionaphtha.
“Demonstrating low-carbon fuels in performance settings like the Baja 1000 can help bring biofuels and other clean energy technologies to scale more quickly, and help to make them more available and affordable for everyone,” said Cynthia Williams, Global Director of Sustainability, Compliance and Homologation at Ford.
Ford is working to achieve carbon neutrality globally across its vehicles, operations and supply chain no later than 2050 and to reach science-based interim targets by 2035. As the company launches electrified versions of its most popular nameplates, the company continues to research and develop alternative fuel options across all of its vehicles, including performance racing, to provide customers with efficient, low-carbon alternatives.
Alternative fuel vehicles can reduce GHG emissions compared to conventional fuel equivalents on a well-to-wheels basis, which includes emissions from both producing and consuming the fuels.
In the past, both the F-150 Raptor and Bronco have successfully raced at Baja. Whether it was a stock 2017 F-150 Raptor finishing on the podium before driving an additional 400 miles home, the Bronco R race prototype’s development and verification of the current production Bronco or even going all the way back to the legendary 1969 overall win, Ford’s trucks have long been in the winners’ circle.
“By entering this event, we’re building on the hundreds of thousands of kilometres of development testing and pushing the Ranger Raptor to new extremes,” said Brian Novak, Off-Road Motorsports Supervisor, Ford Performance. “The Baja 1000 is a demanding event and a well-known proving ground for off-road vehicles,” he added. “We are excited to compete in this extreme event with Ranger Raptor.”
The Ranger Raptor is part of the latest Next-Generation Ranger that has been introduced in most markets, including Malaysia. As the most rugged Ranger with high performance, the Ranger Raptor has used a lot of Ford’s long experience in Baja races. So much that one of the 7 selectable Terrain Management modes is called the ‘Baja’ mode, which is used for high-speed travel over rough ground. When the Baja mode is used, even the roar through the exhaust system rises many decibels (and should only be used in open areas).
The only factory-built high-performance truck, the new Ranger Raptor has a 3-litre V6 EcoBoost engine and is priced from RM259,888. To know more or to locate a showroom to purchase on, visit www.sdacford.com.my.
