Daily Slideshow: Hybrid and Full-Electric Ford Trucks Have a lot to Prove

The future's right around the corner...

As early as 2016, reports and snapshots (such as the image here) have been documented as evidence that Ford is making do on their expressed intent to emphasize efficiency in future truck designs. The notion of a hybridized F-150 is nothing new; the technology's been around for a long time, and there have been many successful examples of such engineered by a third-party source. Nonetheless, it's a pretty big deal that Ford is jumping in on hybrid and full-electric powertrains for themselves, with the first hybrids slated for 2020. They would not have taken the plunge if they didn't recognize a major market for it. Ford manufacturing this technology for themselves will result in a wider adoption of cleaner, more efficient vehicles, and that can only be a good thing.

While efficiency has been of increasing importance to Ford trucks' staple demographics, the process of F-150 owners warming up to this new tech may be a little tricky. This is especially true in the case of full EV trucks, which are tentatively said to release in the years following the hybrid F-150 debut. Ford will have to convince their customers that the technology is worth the extra cost, and also that these fancier variants will be able to pack the same amount of power as their petrol/diesel equivalents. 

A clean engine, not a weak one.

Ask anyone what they think of when they think of a hybrid. Fancy? Expensive? Lexus? These aren't words usually associated with the "typical" F-150 owner-- although even that could be debated. Hybrids have a connotation of luxury to them, but we don't think that's why customers might hesitate. 

It's safe to say that F-150 owners are drawn to the truck because it is powerful, practical, and usually reasonably priced. Many of the connotations people have towards hybrids and EVs clash directly with these values; sometimes in reputation, and sometimes in reality. 

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A boon to the worksite.

One feature that a hybrid truck would be able to boast is its ability to operate as a mobile power generator. While this has been speculated already as a perfect choice for camping, the most significant potential for it lays at the worksite. Using a hybrid as a generator could prove useful and time-saving for someone on the job. Many F-Series owners use the truck as a direct part of their job; even the most pragmatic will be open to a hybrid if they're convinced it will help their company's bottom line. 

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Ford's strategy is long-term

Typically speaking, Ford's market strategy has relied on safe bets. Considering the vast scale of their operation, if they're giving serious attention to this fresh hybrid potential, we can rest assured they plan to manufacture a lot of them. They would not have pursued this kind of investment unless they felt clear the tides had changed enough for it to become feasible on their scale. It doesn't take a market analyst to know that hybrids are going to grow increasingly popular. 

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There's already a lot of great proof

As said before, there's already a healthy variety of F-Series models reconfigured with these technologies. Third-party outfitters proved that it can be done, and well at that. For instance, the truck pictured here is a 4WD all-electric configuration from Protean Electric; it performed admirably well-- and it's from ten years ago. More recently, the hybrid F-150 from XLHybrids reportedly gets 50% more MPG than the norm. Who's to say Ford won't be able to do better. 

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There will be stiff competition

Elon Musk's Tesla company has made electric cars and trucks into something glamorous and, most importantly, feasible. After the Model Y compact SUV, Tesla had their sights set on creating an all-electric pickup truck. This was first unveiled as the massive Tesla Semi, or in Musk's own words, "a pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck." In a tongue-in-cheek (and not-so-subtle) jab, the images used an F-150 for point of reference as to the size of the Tesla design, going as far as to put the F-150 in the back. In addition to the Semi, there have been multiple hints given of a light pickup truck EV-- essentially slated to be a miniaturized version of the mammoth Tesla first showed in images here.

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Ford have weathered worse before

Tesla and Ford going up against one another will be something like David and Goliath; only this time, the bets are on David. To be clear, however, what Tesla predicts, and what actually turns out to be the case will most likely prove distinct from one another. For all his innovation, Elon Musk has a repeated history of overpromising things that weren't feasible. Ford may be slower to adapt to change, but they've got unparalleled capital and infrastructure. Nonetheless, even if Tesla hasn't rolled out their pickup yet, it's same to assume that they'll set the standard Ford will at least have to match it. We've got a reason to think it will. 

>>Join the conversation about Ford Trucks adding in new power sources right here in Ford-trucks.com.

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