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Sorry, you can’t simply purchase a Ford Explorer Hybrid model anymore. The hybrid engines have been reserved for police interceptors. This means police officers get the hybrid benefits while catching other drivers for various crimes. 

The 2025 Ford Explorer Hybrid is standard for police interceptors 

As drivers begin to resist electric vehicles and turn to vehicles instead, one popular SUV model only sells hybrid models to police officers. 

The 2025 Ford Explorer hybrid is the standard option for the Ford Police Interceptor Utility. Until now, the hybrid engine has been optional for police cars. 

Meanwhile, the Explorer Hybrid was discontinued for civilians in 2024, just a year before the mid-cycle refresh launched. 

Ford spokesperson, Dan Barbossa, shared that the return of the Explorer hybrid model for the public is under consideration. 

The Explorer Hybrid pairs a 3.3-liter V6 engine with an electric motor and a 1.5-kWh battery pack to generate 318 hp and 322 lb-ft of torque. 

It gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in the city and up to 26 mpg on the highway. So, it’s not exactly on par with other hybrid SUVs. 

The 2025 Ford Explorer off-roading
2025 Ford Explorer | Ford

For example, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 36 mpg in the city and up to 35 mpg on the highway. 

But the 2025 Ford Explorer Hybrid still helps police officers save tons of fuel by powering electronic devices such as laptops, sirens, communication devices, extra lighting, and sensors. 

Powering these devices with electricity instead of gas allows police officers to do more without having to fill up as often. 

The civilian Ford Explorer has a standard turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Higher trim levels are paired with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine with 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. 

With the turbo-four, the Explorer gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city and up to 28 mpg on the highway.  It’s actually more efficient than the hybrid engine, so maybe we aren’t missing out. 

Also, the V6 engine has more power than the hybrid engine. But do you think the Explorer would benefit from more sales if a more efficient hybrid engine was available for the public?

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Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.