Report: Ford F-150 Hybrid Coming by 2020
Gas-electric pickup is part of Ford’s investment in electrification.
Joseph CapparellaWriter
A hybrid Ford F-150 pickup is likely part of Ford's recently announced plan for 13 new electrified vehicles by 2020. CEO Mark Fields toldNPR that the company is making progress on a hybrid F Series, and that this more efficient truck will arrive by the end of the decade.
More specifically, Fields said that this gas-electric pickup will be rear-wheel drive and use a conventional hybrid drivetrain rather than a plug-in setup. Adding a hybrid powertrain to the F-150 is a logical next step for increasing the truck's fuel economy, as the company has already transitioned to EcoBoost turbo engines and lightweight aluminum construction in recent years. The most efficient version of the current Ford F-150, with a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6, achieves EPA ratings of 19/26 mpg city/highway, and a hybrid model would ideally top those numbers.
The last we heard about the possibility of a Ford F-150 hybrid was back in 2012, when the rumor was that Ford planned to share technology with Toyota. Given Ford's $4.5 billion investment in developing its own electrification technology, though, we're willing to bet that the F-150 hybrid system is being developed in-house at Ford. The F-150 would be the only pickup on the market to offer hybrid tech, as GM discontinued its Silverado Hybrid in 2013.
Keep an eye out for more news on a potential Ford F-150 hybrid as the company rolls our more of its new electrified vehicles in the near future.
