Mobility for Emergencies: Ford Provides Six Ford Rangers to Caritas

COLOGNE, Germany - Providing help where it is needed most—that is the core of the global initiative "Ford Building Together." And, as part of this initiative, Ford and Ford Philanthropy are donating six new Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles to Caritas and its regional branches.

This builds upon a trusted partnership through which Ford and Caritas have been working together since 2015 to support communities across Germany. The project was highlighted during a brief presentation on the pitch at 1. FC Köln’s home match last Saturday—set against the evocative backdrop of the historic club, which has been supported by Ford as a sponsor for many years.

The donated vehicles are all-wheel-drive Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrids. A key feature for emergency operations is the integrated "Pro Power Onboard" system, which turns the Ranger into a mobile power source and allows electrical rescue equipment, phones, and radios to be powered directly from the vehicle—even during power outages or in remote areas far from paved roads and electrical infrastructure. 

"When help needs to arrive quickly and reliably, every bit of support counts. With these six Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrids, we are providing Caritas with versatile vehicles capable of reaching people even under challenging conditions. Together with our retail partners, we are ensuring that these vehicles remain mission-ready—thereby strengthening our long-standing partnership with Caritas," says Jörg Ullrich, Director of DACH Transformation at Ford-Werke GmbH.

To ensure the vehicles are always ready for action in emergencies, five Ford dealership groups are providing a comprehensive service package. The KADEA (AVAG Holding), Hugo Pfohe (Van Mossel Group), Schwabengarage (Emil Frey Group), Ernst & König, and Förster groups will cover maintenance and inspections, digital fleet monitoring, and rapid assistance via mobile service vans—all at no cost for a period of three years.

The six pickup trucks are being handed over to regional Caritas branches (covering Berlin and its surrounding areas, Northern Germany, the regions of Rottenburg-Stuttgart and Würzburg, Blumberg in the Black Forest, and the Rhine-Moselle-Ahr region). They will be used for specific relief and protection tasks—ranging from the distribution of food supplies and transport operations to serving as vehicles for prevention and intervention.

“Whether during severe weather, in disaster relief efforts, or when supporting people in difficult life situations, our teams must always be ready for action,” says Dr. Friedrich von Schönfeld, a board member of the German Caritas Association (Deutscher Caritasverband e.V.).

“They need to be able to reach areas where help is urgently required—even off-road or under challenging conditions. We are pleased to continue our long-standing, successful partnership with Ford in this way.”

The handover of these vehicles also serves as the local kickoff for a broader, global announcement regarding vehicle donations to emergency response organizations, which Ford will unveil later this year.