Automaker Ford usually attaches its “Built Ford Tough” motto to full-size pickup trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles after rigorous off-road and simulated testing. This time around, however, the company awarded the same badge to its new hybrid-powered F-150 PowerBoost model.
The truck reportedly underwent serious trials on proving grounds, high up in the mountains and in the scorching desert at +38°C (+100°F). Its individual components were subjected to isolated testing – for instance, the battery went through 82 hours of continuous violent shaking at a test stand to simulate ten years’ worth of off-road driving.
The new F-150 comes equipped with the PowerBoost Full Hybrid system which revolves around a 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost mill, two turbochargers and a 47-hp (35-kW) electric motor built into the 10-speed automatic transmission. The lithium-ion traction battery can hold up to 1.5 kilowatt-hours of power.
This is the only full-fledged hybrid spec on the F-150 lineup. At 436 PS (430 hp / 321 kW) and 773 Nm (570 lb-ft), it is also the best ever in terms of maximum torque and the best in the current generation in terms of horsepower. Things will change when the F-150 Raptor arrives in 2021 and the F-150 EV follows it a year after that.
Sales will begin later this fall.