Photo: Ford
With some 80,000 trucks already reserved, it’s safe to call the 2022 Ford Maverick a hit right out of the gate. But if you’re waiting to see what the new compact pickup looks like in person or take it for a test drive, you might have a bit of a wait. At least if you want the standard hybrid engine.
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Dealer: Ford wants 40 percent hybrid mix with Maverick
According to a post at the Maverick Truck Club forums, one Ford dealership has suggested that the Mavericks with the 2.5-liter full hybrid engine will only go to fulfilling pre-orders for the time being. That means that when the truck arrives in the fall, examples in stock at dealerships will mostly feature the available 2.0-liter EcoBoost.
That same dealer also suggests that Ford is aiming for a 60 percent mix of the available EcoBoost. Ford is touting the Maverick for its $19,995 starting price and its standard hybrid engine with an estimated 40 mpg in the city. The EcoBoost, while more powerful, adds $1,085 to the price and will likely sharply cut down the fuel economy.
The idea of the Maverick with the standard hybrid being built-to-order is not shocking given comments from Ford CEO Jim Farley. On a conference call last week, Farley said that Ford was “really committed to going to an order-based system and keeping inventories at 50 to 60 days’ supply” in an effort to curb inventive spending.
Ford: Hybrid Maverick demand “is very strong”
Photo: Ford
Ford responded to the post and reports with a statement, suggesting that the lack of Mavericks with hybrid engines at dealerships is a temporary situation.
“The demand for the standard hybrid powertrain is very strong. As we ramp up production, we are doing everything we can to make sure we allocate vehicles to customers who placed retail orders but plan to have stock inventory to view at local Ford dealerships, as well,” a Ford spokesperson said.
Of course, production and inventory are both tough to pin down at the moment with the surge in COVID-19 cases and the ongoing microchip shortage. However it shakes out, the high volume of early reservations suggests that the Maverick will be a mover whenever it arrives and in whatever quantities.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.