Daily Slideshow: Hybrid F-150 Does What It Does Best While Saving the Environment

The Move Towards Hybrid Power

The automotive industry is moving into a new era of hybrid power where we will begin seeing most of our favorite vehicles equipped with a traditional internal combustion engine as well as a battery-powered electric motor to meet ever-tightening fuel and emission standards. Ford has jumped on the bandwagon and is planning to have 13 models available by the year 2020 that are either fully electric or gas-electric hybrids, including the beloved F-150. Oddly enough, the typical F-150 truck owner could care less about the fuel efficiency (in fact, it ranks 28 on the list of priorities when purchasing a new truck), so how does Ford intend to market the new F-150 Hybrid?

>>Join the conversation about the Forthcoming Hybrid F-150 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

A Long Term Research Project

First and foremost, Ford will not be forcing the hybrid technology on consumers as they will sell the Hybrid F-150 alongside their traditional F-150 models fitted with internal combustion engines. That said, Ford is taking a new approach on trying to incorporate hybrid power into the F-150 to not only improve fuel economy but to add additional features that the average truck owner would use. Apparently, Ford research teams have devoted the better part of a year studying the ins and outs of Ford truck ownership by actually spending time with consumers using their trucks for work, camping, tailgating, etc. With such extensive data collected, Ford has identified some key areas where hybrid tech can improve the ownership experience.

>>Join the conversation about the Forthcoming Hybrid F-150 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Portable Power

Although details are still rather sparse on the Hybrid F-150, Ford recently gave us a teaser at the Detroit Auto Show. The hybrid truck will seemingly provide portable power from its battery pack to allow owners the ability to run a variety of electronic equipment when out in their truck. The research study found that a large percentage of truck owners frequently use a generator for work and/or recreation, so incorporating an electrical power source (similar in function to a generator) as a standard feature on the hybrid model could potentially fill a void in the market. A featurette at the Detroit Auto Show displayed a TV being powered by a power cord plugged into an electrical outlet in the truck's bed, but sources also claim it will be capable of powering equipment at a work site or even running a drink cooler to keep your beer chilled when tailgating.

>>Join the conversation about the Forthcoming Hybrid F-150 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Specification Speculation

At this point, all other information regarding the Hybrid F-150 has been kept under wraps, but most experts feel the truck is expected to retail for approximately $5,000 more than a similarly equipped ICE model. With the success of the smaller EcoBoost engines and Ford's new 10-speed transmission, it likely that we could see a truck reach the 30 mpg mark when coupled with hybrid power. The downside of a hybrid system is the additional weight that is added to a vehicle. In the case of the F-150, this likely equates to reduced towing and hauling capacities, especially when is it expected to use one of the smaller engine options. Perhaps the Hybrid F-150 will only be offered in small cab configurations (regular cab or super cab) and a standard bed length to offset any weight disadvantage.

>>Join the conversation about the Forthcoming Hybrid F-150 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

A Tough Road Ahead?

At the end of the day, Ford is investing in hybrid technology in order to meet the 54.5 mpg average across their model lineup set forth several years ago by the Obama administration. Industry experts expect the hybrid version to be a tough sell, especially when considering hybrid GM trucks have not had much success and a portable 2000 watt generator capable of running all day on a gallon of gas can be had for $1000 or less. That said, there is a reason why Ford F-Series trucks have been the best selling trucks for the last 40 consecutive years. If anyone is capable of pulling off a successful hybrid pick-up truck, it'll be the folks at Ford. Only time will tell!

>>Join the conversation about the Forthcoming Hybrid F-150 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

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