Long-range electric ute made for Outback touring

British electrified vehicle start-up Fering is developing an all-new hard-core 4x4 ute – the 2022 Fering Pioneer – that’s designed to handle extreme off-road conditions and offers an incredible driving range of 7000km from its range-extender plug-in hybrid powertrain.

That’s with long-range tanks fitted on the extreme Fering Pioneer, which is billed as a vehicle for “lifesaving, not lifestyle” and “expeditions rather than exhibitions” and is currently undergoing prototype testing ahead of series production starting in the UK in the first half of 2022.

Led by former Ferrari and McLaren engineer Ben Scott-Geddes, the Fering team has set out to create an eco-friendly 4x4 off-road vehicle with “unrivalled off-grid capabilities for the most extreme adventures”.

Power to both the front and rear axles is provided by two electric motors that produce 600Nm of torque combined.

These are fed by a battery pack using unconventional lithium titanate oxide cells which are “designed to survive extreme weather conditions”, according to Fering, and enable an electric-only driving range of 80km.

But the key selling point to prospective buyers in the UK, Europe and other markets – including Australia – is the range-extending capability for this so-called “sustainable electrified pick-up” that can reach a claimed 7000km via an 800cc three-cylinder diesel engine which runs on biofuel and acts as a generator, replenishing the battery and powering the motors as required.

That’s just about enough to get from Melbourne to Darwin and back without refuelling or recharging!

If you don’t need to travel that far, the long-range fuel tanks can be swapped out for water tanks, which could be handy if you simply want to cross the Australian Outback or do a desert crossing.

Full technical details aren’t yet available, but Fering says the Pioneer is no larger in any direction than a typical delivery van and that it’s shorter than a Ford Mondeo Estate (4871mm).

Ground clearance is said to be 800mm and the wading depth an impressive 1400mm. Huge 22.5-inch wheels are designed to take standard-size truck tyres “to ensure easy availability in the remotest areas of the globe”.

The Pioneer’s kerb weight (dry) is also “around 1500kg” – well below the two tonnes minimum you’d expect for such a hard-core off-road machine.

Weight-saving measures include the use of “advanced materials and techniques from the circuit and supercar” that include an aluminium space frame with composite elements, and body panels made of “tough fabric”.

“This material, which is similar to the canvas found in high-end hiking boots, can shrug off damage, is easily replaced and has better insulation properties than metal skins,” Fering claims.

The company says the Pioneer is capable of carrying its own weight as a payload – so that’s a generous 1500kg – while the low kerb mass and efficient powertrain delivers fuel economy of around 50mpg (4.7L/100km). No hints about towing capacity but the Pioneer could be up for dragging a lightweight bush camper through the scrub.

The Pioneer can also be modified to suit particular applications, with bigger batteries and different range-extending combustion engines (running on ethanol, for example) available.

As well as being suited for emergency service applications – accessing remote locations and supplying power for electric rescue equipment and lighting etc – Fering says the Pioneer is easy to repair and upgrade, and therefore has an “indefinite lifespan”.

Should it ever need to be recycled, the British start-up also promises “there is far less material to recover than a comparable 4x4 vehicle or even a similar-sized van”.

And the price you’d pay for such a Pioneer? Count on a starting point of £150,000 ($A282,000) – or about two, top-spec LandCruiser 200 Series wagons!