F-150's onboard generator
The pickup truck wars continue, with Ford giving the next F-150 an onboard generator, some versions of which will crank out enough electricity to keep a job site (or camp site) running for hours.
This, of course, requires new and innovative workarounds to existing features. Digging though the digital owner's manual for the 2021 F-150, it seems Ford has a couple of inventive solutions.
The first is something called Utility Idle. This feature will appear on F-150 pickups equipped with a standard ignition key and permit owners to remove the key while the truck is stopped, yet keep the engine running. Why? To help that new generator do its job.
To keep the onboard generator going, the truck may start its gasoline-powered engine at any moment. Because drivers may not want to leave the keys in the ignition, Ford needed a new solution.
Utility Idle mode allows you to remove the key from the ignition and keep the vehicle and bed power point running, the manual says.
A further tidbit gleaned from the digital owner's manual is the introduction of Eco Idle on F-150 pickups equipped with the new Powerboost hybrid engine. It's described as an item that “more efficiently extends the use of features” that are powered by the high-voltage battery when the truck is stationary. Eco Idle can be disabled through a submenu in the infotainment screen.
A link to the entire owner's manual can be found at Driving.ca.