Powerful Pickup Moves a Little Towards Electrification
[Ed. note: Clean Fleet Report sometimes gets a second look at a new vehicle by a different staffer. We had a second take on the 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid by Michael Coates here.]
The Ford F-150 has been America’s favorite pickup for 43 years—and often, as now, the top-selling vehicle of any kind. So, it really needs no introduction to most people.
The 2021 model brings a fresh new design, and along with it, the first F-150 hybrid. In fact, for the moment, it’s the only light-duty full-size pickup to offer a full hybrid powertrain. You can order the hybrid at any level, from XL to Limited. My Iconic Silver tester was a Limited, so it had pretty much everything, and with its four doors and generous cargo bed it dominated my driveway during its stay with me.
Before jumping into the details, you should know that I am not someone who would ever buy a full-size pickup. I live in an urban area and never have to transport heavy loads. I haven’t tested a truck for a while for that reason—they are big gas users—but now, with a hybrid available, it was time to take another look.
Power to Amaze Inside
The amazing thing about big pickup trucks is that they are so easy to drive! With power assist and good visibility, as long as you’re careful, it feels effortless, and I completely understand and appreciate the feeling of owning the road that you enjoy when cruising along in a big unit like this.
Part of that good feeling is from the large and attractively rendered cabin. Although you may not be hauling rocks or heavy-duty equipment, the F-150’s interior feels rock solid and has been completely redesigned for 2021. The massive, leather-wrapped shift knob feels worthy of an airliner. The dash has four shiny knobs, with grip-worthy indentations, for the radio and climate controls. That part feels completely traditional and welcome. The sculpted dash panel and doors look carved rather than assembled. In my tester, the diamond quilt pattern on the supportive buckets was quite elegant. Those seats were optioned with Max Recline feature, making them comfy for taking rest breaks on long hauls. I admired the metal Limited emblem installed on the center console lid that bore its VIN# and 0019 – its unique serial number. It must be limited!
The 12-inch center screen (on all but the base model) makes finding information easy. You can split it and view multiple features simultaneously. Many of us are used to this on our laptops. When you’re using the screen with the rearview camera, it’s very easy to see. The optional Interior Work Surface enables working on a 15-inch laptop or having a meal—not while driving, of course.
The Hybrid Value Proposition
So, what benefit does the hybrid drivetrain give? Beyond any fuel savings, the hybrid is the most powerful F-150. The PowerBoost drivetrain marries the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 to a 35-kilowatt motor integrated into the 10-speed automatic transmission. That gives drivers 430 horsepower and a stump-pulling 570 pounds-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque. The electric motor regenerates power for the 1.5-kWh battery, which is positioned on the bottom of the truck. That means the hybrid loses no passenger or cargo capacity.
Looking at fuel efficiency, the hybrid gives the truck a little bit of a bump, but not a lot. The U.S. EPA numbers for my test car, with four-wheel-drive, are 24 mpg city/24 highway/24 combined. You can add an extra mpg by ordering only two-wheel drive. The V6 EcoBoost non-hybrid model gets 19 city/22 highway/20 combined. The 5.0-liter V8-equipped model delivers numbers of 16 city/22 highway/19 combined. Doing the math, you see that the hybrid provides up to a 20 percent improvement over the popular V6 EcoBoost model, and a little more over the V8. My tester scored a 5 for Greenhouse Gas, but the EPA Smog scores I like to post are apparently not available yet. The F-150 Hybrid is still very new.
[Ed. note: The key to the significance of the “small” fuel economy gains for the F-150 are the impact because of the quantity of the F-Series model that will hit the marketplace. As an example, the most recent numbers available for 2020 (through November) showed 713,000 F-Series being sold for the year. A four mpg improvement with the average 15,000 miles/year of use equals means the new hybrids will save roughly 89 million gallons of gasoline a year.]
As a next-generation model, the new F-150, regardless of powertrain, gets some worthwhile updates. While retaining its fully-boxed steel frame and “military grade” aluminum alloy body panels, you now can choose from 11 grille options and many other ways to customize. One of the wonders of my test car was the set of automatic power running boards that extended themselves as I approached the truck, aiding my climb in.
Grille Aerodynamics & More
Speaking of grilles, aerodynamics on this otherwise blocky vehicle is enhanced with active grille shutters and an automatically deploying air dam. Drag has been carefully reduced to improve airflow a little.
The list of features is long. The dash has a new digital gauge cluster that welcomes you with glamorous photos of the truck itself. There’s a full-width optional lockable compartment below the rear seat, great for stashing your fishing rods or other valuables. There’s an optional tailgate work surface for use at the job site.
Something that sounds very handy is the Trailer Reverse Guidance and Pro Trailer Backup Assist. Of course, I didn’t get to try it, but some users would love it. It uses multiple cameras and graphics that tell you which way to turn.
Many of these trucks are working machines, so having the optional Pro Power Onboard lets you hook up your electric tools when out at the worksite or campsite.
The 2021 Ford F-150 gets the all-new Sync 4 system standard for connection and a huge menu of entertainment options. In the style of Tesla, Ford is introducing over-the-air software updates. And, to add to the list, the F-150 has loads of electronic monitoring equipment to keep you safe.
These all-American favorites are assembled in Dearborn, Michigan, or Claycomo, Missouri.
While I do not want one of these beautiful beasts, I can completely understand why many people would. The 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid shows its leadership in the latest iteration of an incredibly successful product. A fully electric version is coming, and it will have competition when it does. The need for big, powerful trucks isn’t going away, but the way we fuel them is changing.
Story by Steve Schaefer; photos by Steve Schaefer, Michael Coates & Ford
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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