This tiny, Mexico-built Ford hybrid pickup already has 100,000 reservations

Ford Motor Co. has so far confirmed 100,000 reservations for its brand new little 2022 Maverick pickup truck that has not yet been built.

The hybrid compact pickup was only introduced in June and is the only pickup with a hybrid base model.

Most of the reservations come from California, Texas, and Florida consumers – specifically Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Orlando.

When the Maverick was revealed, consumers were able to make a no-obligation reservation on the website, which basically marks merchants who see the warning as a tough clue for follow-up. Some reservations have been converted into orders, but Ford has not released details yet.

Ford dealerships in Florida, Texas, and Michigan say they made some interesting discoveries: A couple already sold their car while they wait. A seller who drives an average of 30,000 miles per year said he couldn’t afford not to own a pickup truck that delivers 40 miles per gallon. One 5-foot tall woman with a history of loyalty to Honda said an affordable and comfortable little pickup truck was just too good to resist.

“Toyota Tacoma has dominated mid-size pickups in California, Florida and Texas,” said Dawn McKenzie, Ford Truck Communications Manager. “The all-new Ford Maverick is America’s first standard city full hybrid pickup with fuel economy that beats a Honda Civic, lots of towing and hauling for weekend getaways or do-it-yourself projects, and it starts at $ 19,995.”

A merchant in Texas says the reservation-to-order conversion rate is constant.

“This is very exciting for us,” said Sam Pack, president and CEO of the Pack Auto Group, based in the greater Dallas area. “We had almost 700 reservations in our four dealerships. That is extraordinarily strong. We are currently converting at a rate of around 25-30%. That is significant. “

The 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XLT and 2L-EcoBoost AWD Lariat are expected to be available this fall.(Ford)

Many of the orders do not include trade-ins, he said. But data from its dealerships shows the majority of the pending trade-ins come from Maverick customers who previously bought other brands, most notably Honda and Toyota, Pack said. These are known as “conquering professions” and the industry prides itself on adding competitor vehicles to the trade.

More than half of orders come from men under 40 who are spending more than the base price to customize their pickups, he said.

‘Man … what I’m looking for’

Wayne Tipton, 60, a Jacksonville, Florida salesman will trade in a 2012 Ford Escape and add a new Maverick to a family lineup that includes an F-150, a Ford Explorer SUV, and his daughter’s Subaru Forester compact SUV.

“Sometimes you have to put things in the back. A truck is more flexible, ”says Tipton. “Probably the primary reason? The hybrid model. When I saw it, I said, ‘Man, this could be exactly what I’m looking for.’ “

In the meantime, Cathy Gall brought her husband’s attention to the hot new pickup after doing an early research on YouTube.

“I’ve wanted a pickup for many, many years, but I had reservations about large trucks. Not only did I not need any of this, I am small. And I have an 80 year old mother and I didn’t want her to use the side rails to get in. I’ve always loved the Toyota Tacoma, but the price isn’t great for what it is. “

The Tacoma starts at about $ 26,400 and goes up to 23 miles per gallon.

“I don’t raise any cattle,” said Gall. “I needed something more practical, suitable for someone loading furniture from goodwill to rework. That price was amazing. I said to my husband, ‘I think I want a new Ford truck, a Maverick.’ And he said, ‘What is that?’ “

She ordered Cactus Gray through Bozard Ford. Gall, 55, a Jacksonville technical writer, and her husband Ron, 56, a TV advertising sales manager, abandoned their 2017 Ford Escape while they waited for the Maverick to be built. They still have their 2020 Ford Fusion.

Both Tipton and Gall are making more than 30 purchase commitments, said Jeff King, vice president and general manager at Bozard Ford Lincoln in St. Augustine, Florida.

While so much attention has been paid to the all-new Ford Bronco and all-electric F-150 Lightning, consumers seem excited about the perks and prices of the small pickup, King said.

“That’s a bargain,” he said of the Maverick price tag. “The fuel consumption is a big plus. And there are many people who are environmentally conscious now. The mixed word there is very nice. It’s a win-win situation. “

‘Right time’

Historically, compact trucks haven’t had much success in the U.S., but Americans value value for money, said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at auto shopping site Edmunds.com.

“With cars disappearing quickly from the market, the Ford Maverick may have come at the right time. The offer of an inexpensive vehicle with utility value and convincing fuel consumption fulfills many requirements for consumers. “

While a full-size truck remains America’s best seller, there is definitely an appetite for something smaller and more competitively priced, say consumers.

“I love the compact size,” says Todd Irish, 57, a retired automotive service technician who lives in Yulee, Fla. Maverick sits low on the floor, which makes it easy to get started. I will use it as my daily driver and pull my jet ski on the weekends. “

He will take the vehicle to a specialist shop to convert it so that it can only be driven by hand, without his wheelchair and like every other consumer in the driver’s seat.

“They do it so that I can manually operate the brakes and accelerator so they don’t have to do anything for the wheelchair,” Irish said, noting that he did the same thing to modify his Mustang GT and F-150.

Orientation towards first-time visitors

Jarrod Tishhouse is a 33-year-old native of Kalamazoo, Michigan who now works as a freelance electrician in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He drives a Ford E-150 work truck and so far had only one pickup truck – “an old rusty” -out 1999 Chevy Silverado “- that he owned when he ran a small farm in southwest Michigan.

“This will be the first new vehicle I’ve ever bought. It’s in my price range and fits my lifestyle perfectly. I needed a smaller truck because I live in Lancaster City and do 90% of my work where there are mostly parking lots and small roads, ”said Tishhouse. “The truck has all the compartments I need for my tools, a charging station in the loading area for my power tool batteries and exactly the right loading area for transporting my work materials.”

He also needs a second family vehicle not only for his three daughters, but also for camping, hiking, longboarding and kayaking. He pays a little more, around $ 32,000, for a tricky version that includes additional security features.

“I don’t know of any other truck that offers anywhere near this kind of fuel economy and features for this price range,” said Tishhouse, who tweeted about his first new car purchase in June.

“The only criticism I have right now is global supply chains. I know Ford said they would try to get the trucks out by the fall, but I called my truck on the 15th. “I wish Ford were a little more transparent about their supply chains so that customers could adjust their orders accordingly when something is not available.”

Despite the interruption in the supply chain for the entire industry, “everything seems to be on the right track” and “all pre-launch results that we are measuring are still positive”, so the vehicle is expected to reach dealerships this fall, said Trevor Scott. Ford Maverick and Ranger Marketing Manager.

“We are really encouraged,” he said. “… Small car and small SUV customers are looking at a truck for the first time.”

The Maverick is set to compete with the Hyundai Venue, Nissan Kicks, and small cars like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. The Maverick shares its basic technology with the compact SUVs Ford Escape, Bronco Sport and Lincoln Corsair. It will be built next to the Bronco Sport in Hermosillo, Mexico.

How it works

Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor that uses the energy stored in batteries, as explained by the US Department of Energy.

In contrast to a purely electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle cannot be connected to charge the battery. “The battery is charged through regenerative braking and the internal combustion engine. The extra power provided by the electric motor can potentially enable a smaller motor. The battery can also … reduce engine idling when the vehicle is stationary. “

While few people stop asking how hybrid technology works, the federal government praises hybrid vehicles for “better fuel consumption without sacrificing performance”.

Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press (TNS)

An interior view of the 2022 Ford Maverick 2L-EcoBoost AWD Lariat.(Ford)

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