Always at or near the top in truck sales, Ford is recognized as one of the forerunners in revolutionizing the pickup.
This year the renowned Michigan automaker came out with the 2021 Ford F-150 hybrid truck and arriving next spring is the highly-touted all-electric Ford F-150 Lightening.
One might say the hybrid truck serves as the opening act in Ford’s major electrified push, reinforcing the company’s commitment to new alternative-fuel models.
Ford did a major redesign of its F series for 2021. The F-150 PowerBoost is a gasoline-powered, full-size hybrid, currently the only truck with a full hybrid powertrain. It features a 1.5-kilowatt-hour, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery, and a 35-kilowatt electric motor.
The F-150 has dominated vehicle sales in the U.S. for decades. That success continued a year ago with sales of nearly 790,000 units, making the F-Series the top-selling light truck once again.
The F-150 has three cab styles (regular, extended, crew) and three bed lengths, depending on the cab style, allowing it to function as a basic work truck, a major off-roader, or a loaded luxury model. The options allow buyers to tailor the truck to their needs and typically within their budget requirements.
The hybrid F-150 combines impressive power and high fuel economy, a rarity among trucks. As one might expect, it offers impressive towing and payload capacity, yet it also excels in fuel economy, getting a combined 24 mpg and going an amazing 723 miles on a single tank of gas.
A very cool feature of the hybrid truck is a new onboard generator that can power appliances and tools when stationary or in motion. It has four 120-volt/20-amp plug outlets in the rear bed and several more cabin outlets that eliminates needing a socket at work locations.
The F-150 hybrid combines a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter, V6 with an electric motor and a battery pack that can generate 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque. It has a top speed of 107 mph.
Paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, it goes 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds, super-quick for a pickup. It can tow 12,400 pounds and the payload capacity is 1,830 pounds.
AT A GLANCE – 2021 FORD F-150 HYBRID
- Performance: turbocharged 3.5-liter, V6, 430 horsepower
- Mileage estimate: combined 24 mpg
- Price estimate: $45,600 to $65,400
- Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles; Drivetrain: 5 years/60,000 miles; Roadside assistance: 5 years/60,000; Corrosion: 5 years/unlimited
An 8-inch center touchscreen is standard in the F-150 hybrid and there’s a new user-friendly SYNC 4 infotainment system.
This is also a truck that cruises along the freeway in comfort or can go off-roading with proficiency. It provides quick steering and is not clumsy or cumbersome in undersized parking lots.
Standard driver assistance safety features include lane departure warning, forward collision mitigation, rearview camera, pedestrian detection, and forward automatic emergency braking.
The hybrid’s cabin is equipped with good overall comfort for five passengers. Up front, there’s lots of adjustments to accommodate drivers and passengers of varying sizes.
An 8-inch center touchscreen is standard (12-inch is available) and there’s a new user-friendly SYNC 4 infotainment system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration come standard.
There’s lots of small-item storage in the cab and a lockable box beneath the rear seats for stowaway items. The back seat can fold flat to the floor to greatly increase the cargo area. The three available bed lengths measure 8 feet, 6-6 inches and 5-6.
Although the price tag is higher than a standard model, we can easily see the overall value of the new 2021 Ford F-150 hybrid truck. It delivers great performance, fuel economy, and several new unique features, elevating the Ford brand even higher.
Weidel on Wheels is featured regularly on www.tahoeskiworld.com. Auto writer Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jeffweidel.
