The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Ford F-150 adds gas-electric option
Battery-powered trucks make headlines every time they get closer to production, but a fully-electric model isn’t the only fuel-saving option. There’s also a hybrid powertrain, which Ford has added to its new 2021 F-150.
The automaker gave me a couple of hours to cruise around in a well-equipped F-150 Limited Hybrid. It’s highly unlikely this gaselectric powertrain will be the volume seller, but it’s one more option for those who want a full-size truck with smaller-vehicle fuel consumption.
Dubbed Powerboost, the hybrid system is one of six engine choices for 2021. Other than a 5.0L V8, all others are V6: a naturally-aspirated 3.3, a turbocharged Ecoboost 2.7L and 3.5L, and 3.0-litre Power Stroke diesel, all with a 10speed automatic transmission.
The hybrid uses the EcoBoost 3.5L V6 and 10-speed automatic, along with a 35-kw electric motor and 1.5-kwh lithium-ion battery. That battery charges through regenerative braking, and the truck doesn’t get plugged in. The system produces 430 horsepower and 570 lb.-ft. of torque — both numbers the highest of all the engines — with a maximum payload of 2,120 pounds, and top towing capacity of 12,700 pounds.
It’s only available as the Supercrew, which is the most popular cab configuration anyway. Consumers can order it as an optional powertrain on the XLT trim and up, while fleet customers can also get it on the base XL. Pricing varies and can get a little confusing. It’s the difference over the base engine, which can vary by trim — the cheaper the base engine, the more you’ll pay to upgrade to the hybrid. Depending on the trim you choose and the engine from which you’re upgrading, the hybrid engine adds anywhere from $2,200 to $5,750 to the truck’s sticker.
This new powertrain is far from the only change to the 2021 F-150. It rides on the same frame as before, and is the same overall size, but every body panel has been massaged. It’s unmistakably an F-150, but looks smoother and sleeker. The redesigned cabin is spectacular, with a handsome new design, highquality materials, and new features.
I drove the top-of-the-line Limited, and while there wasn’t a price sheet on my pre-production ride, “building” a similar one on the consumer website is $92,500. It had pretty much every bell-and-whistle, including a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, which can be a recipe for distraction disaster, but this one has been done right. There are a lot of functions stuffed into it, but the important stuff — climate control, stereo volume and tuning, drive modes, and heated seat and steering wheel controls — are big, simple, easy-to-usewith-gloves buttons and dials. The infotainment system uses SYNC 4 with an embedded 4G LTE modem.
My ride’s other all-new features included a locking under-seat storage cabinet, power up-and-down tailgate with work surface, and a flat-reclining seat for lunch-hour snoozes. The gearshift lever can be power-folded flat into the console (if you’ve stashed something in its cubby, it springs back up instead of crushing it) and the console box lid folds forward, creating a flat surface for work or lunch. And because all fullsize trucks today are needlessly oversized, Ford has extended the F-150’s power-deployed running boards back to the rear wheel well, so you can step on to reach over the bed, in place of the old kickout bed step.
But I’m primarily here for the powertrain. It’s a full hybrid, able to run on gasoline, electricity, or a combination. It automatically switches between them depending on driving conditions, and electric-only can happen in two- or four-wheel drive.
The transition between gas and battery isn’t quite as seamless as in, say, a Prius, where it’s starting up a tiny four-cylinder. There can be a bit of a rumble when the F-150’s V6 comes to life, although it’s more than acceptable. The engine shuts off any time you come to a stop, of course with all accessories like lights and heater still operating (if you sit there for too long, the engine will start up to charge the battery). My truck had an auto-hold feature and had an annoying bump on acceleration from a stop. I suspect that hold
Right now, the F-150 is the only full-hybrid truck on the market.
function can be shut off, but my time was short and didn’t have a chance to search for a way to defeat it.
Overall, the hybrid system works well, and its odd little whirring noises are inherent to hybrids and drivers should get used to them quickly.
While I wasn’t in them back-to-back, I thought the hybrid felt a bit heavier than the last 2020 F-150 I drove. But I like how it handles, with its quick response and wellweighted steering feel. It’s well-planted on the highway and with more than enough passing power to get through traffic. Officially, the hybrid is rated at a combined 9.8 L/100 km, which isn’t superimpressive compared to that Prius, but pretty decent for a big truck.
It’s about the same as for the diesel, but with more power on tap. I wasn’t able to do a full mileage check on my short drive, but my trip computer showed a best-performance of 11.8 L/100 km.
The new F-150 includes Pro Power Onboard, an onboard inverter/generator with plugs mounted in the bed side, available on some of the gas engines, and standard on the hybrid.
It’s a 2.0-kw model on gas and 2.4-kw on the hybrid, and on the hybrid can be optioned to a 7.2-kw version, which Ford says can run enough tools for a crew to frame a house.
The Ram 1500 offers a mild system called etorque, but it only assists the engine and can’t run on electricity alone, so right now, the F-150 is the only full-hybrid truck on the market.