Ford Ranger "Gliders" for Electric Conversions
By Ron Cogan
Before the major automakers developed battery electric vehicles for test marketing in the 1990s, smaller entrepreneurial companies sought to fill the market for electric cars. There were many challenges, not the least of which was the common practice of converting an existing internal combustion engine model to electric power. Not only was this expensive because the base vehicle’s cost included these unnecessary components, but it also required additional labor to remove them before adding batteries and electric drive. Many converters wished for “gliders,” brand new models that were complete but had no engine or fuel system components from the start. However, these were not available until Ford broke apart from the crowd with its Ford Ranger gliders in 1995. This report details the news and is reprinted just as it ran in Green Car’s May 1995 issue.
FORD TO OFFER RANGER GLIDERS TO UPFITTERS
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MAY 1995 One of the most sought-after concessions from automakers is becoming a reality for electric vehicle upfitters: the availability of brand new “gliders” for EV conversions. These vehicles, supplied from the assembly line without engines, transmissions, fuel systems, or internal combustion components of any kind, make electric vehicle conversion a much more straightforward process.
The advantages are numerous. Primary among them is that major internal combustion componentry needn’t be removed before the conversion process begins. This saves time in the upfitting process, which translates into significant savings in labor costs.
Of greater importance is that upfitters will save substantially on product costs, since they will no longer be paying for unneeded internal combustion drivetrains and related systems. Industry sources claim this could reduce the premium cost of upfitted EVs from about 100 percent over that of conventional gasoline counterparts, to around 30 percent.
The first automaker to offer gliders will be Ford. Its popular Ranger pickups will be made available as gliders to companies that meet the requirements of Ford’s Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) program. QVM requires upfitters to meet requirements in the areas of process and quality control, customer support, and certification. An existing QVM program is already in place for natural gas upfitters who wish to convert F-250 pickups to bi-fuel natural gas vehicles.
“Our goal for the Ranger glider program is to expand our market knowledge and facilitate efforts by others to get electric vehicles on the road,” says John Wallace, Electric Vehicle Program Director for Ford. “This program will give converters an opportunity to improve the quality of their products and cut costs. Whether or not that’s enough to satisfy consumers will be determined by the market.”
It’s ironic that Ford’s QVM standards for electric vehicles were developed in collaboration with U.S. Electricar, a company now unlikely to participate in the program. U.S. Electricar has shifted its focus to building electric transit shuttle buses and commercial/industrial off-highway vehicles as part of its redirection.
Ford sources say that the auto development and manufacturing firm TDM World Conversions in Detroit, Michigan, is already working to qualify under the QVM program, and is expected to be one of the first to become eligible for glider purchases. The 2,200 employee company hopes to begin offering an electric Ranger by the end of the year, primarily to commercial fleet users. TDM is an established modifier of Ford products and already converts F-Series pickups into natural gas vehicles.
Want to know more about electric car conversions from production models? Be sure to check out these articles on GreenCar.com:
Fast Times in a Mustang 300E Electric Musclecar
Roush EV Pickup Neighborhood Electric Vehicle
Phoenix Electric Sports Utility Truck
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