Tomo Wants to Turn Ford Rangers Into Bare Job-Site Trucks

Based in Roanoke, Virginia, Tomo plans to build a compact commercial truck on a Ford Ranger chassis, aimed at job sites and little else. The unnamed prototype combines an open-sided cab with a flat steel bed measuring five feet, both stripped of creature comforts. The cab uses "bio-based" composite materials, according to the company. Both the cab and bed sit on the bare chassis with no additional bodywork, a throwback to the days when luxury automakers sold a rolling chassis with a steering wheel and pedals and left the coachwork to the buyer.

The company's online footprint matches the truck. Everything known about Tomo comes from a single Facebook post. Its website is a Google Form that asks only for a budget and a preferred platform. The platform options run from a Ranger in gasoline or electric form to a V8-powered F-150 and a Super Duty diesel, which suggests Tomo may be measuring appetite for bigger, more capable builds once the Ranger truck is done.

Tomo says customer deliveries will begin in the 2027 calendar year. That's an ambitious date given that what Tomo has on display at the moment is a prototype. Production volumes aren't being discussed, and Roanoke sits far from established industry supply chains, so expect small-batch numbers at best. Tomo does claim a tie to Greenlander, a European outfit that converts adventure RVs using eco-friendly materials.

Why the Ranger and not a Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon is unexplained. Cost or the availability of spare chassis are plausible answers. Building on an existing platform is a sensible move, both for development and for leaving owners with a parts supply they can actually source.

As with any automotive startup, treat the claims with heavy salt. The graveyard already holds Lordstown and Bollinger Motors.

[Images: Tomo]

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