Ford Australia leaders roll into Echuca

The new Ranger Plug-In Hybrid, which hit the market about one month ago, and the forthcoming Ranger Super Duty were the tour’s focus.

Mr Birkic said the hybrid model had received a lot of interest from customers, and provides an alternative to traditional combustion engines.

“What we’re saying is, there’s something in the middle that we believe offers no compromise,” he said.

“We’re always looking at optimising our offering with alternative power trains to make sure that we meet what customers want.”

Roadblocks remain in the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles countrywide, with Mr Birkic citing access to charging infrastructure and “range anxiety” as challenges.

He was, however, positive about the future popularity of low-emission vehicles, and said Ford Australia understood the intent of the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard scheme.

“I think the uptake in the commercial space is going to take longer than it will in the passenger space,” Mr Birkic said.

“Certainly in rural Victoria, you’ll probably see varying rates of adoption, but it will happen. It’s going to happen.”

Of the tour, Mr Crosby said talking in-person with customers and dealers had provided valuable first-hand feedback for product development.

The Super Duty model was designed with labour-intense work in mind, including construction and agriculture, making community input from these markets important.

“It’s clear there’s a need for these types of vehicles in rural Victoria,” Mr Crosby said.

“It’s great that we’re getting closer to customers and getting them to understand the capability of our vehicles.”

Mr Birkic praised Ford’s regional Victorian dealers, which he said are central to communities and often provide sponsorship to local clubs and groups.

The visit on Wednesday, August 6, marked the first time in over 20 years a Ford Australia president had visited Morley Ford Echuca.