The Reason Ford Can't Keep Up With The Demand For The 2023 Maverick Hybrid
Ford's Maverick compact pickup truck has been, without question, a runaway success for the brand. In both 2022 and 2023, Ford had to close the order banks for the capable mini-truck in as little as one week because the entire year's production run was already sold out, proving that you don't need an 8000-pound Godzilla pickup with 500 horsepower to take your crew on a camping excursion or make a run to the local home improvement store.
Fortunately for prospective Maverick buyers, efficiencies at Ford's Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico are improving, with a 52% increase in production from April 2023 to May 2023 — a number that's expected to grow even more when a third shift of workers is added soon. Still, the factory working overtime may be of little consolation to buyers who've opted for the hybrid version of the Maverick — the most popular powerplant — because a key component of that vehicle remains in short supply: the battery.
The hybrid will be getting more expensive
The Maverick Hybrid delivers 42 MPG around town and 33 MPG on the highway, topping all other gasoline-powered pickups in America for efficiency. Until recently, the hybrid version was also available at no extra cost to Maverick buyers, so its popularity is hardly surprising. In a late-2022 communication to its network of dealerships, Ford disclosed that 73% of Maverick orders were for hybrids, but the automaker was only capable of producing 35% of all Mavericks as hybrids. Although a battery supply chain constraint hasn't specifically been cited by Ford, it's hard not to apply that reasoning considering that non-hybrid models are being delivered to their new owners several months quicker than hybrids.
For the 2024 model year, the pricing structure has changed and the Hybrid is now an extra cost $1,500 option across most trim levels except Lariat, where it's available at no charge. This could easily be viewed as an attempt to redirect some would-be hybrid buyers into trucks with traditional all-gasoline propulsion. Finally, one potential drawback to the Maverick hybrid is that it's still not available in all-wheel drive which could be a deal killer for those living in snowy climates or with an inclination to take the little truck off-road.