We have big news to discuss today. Big, big news: the all-new 2021 Ford F-150 is being offered with an optional hybrid engine. You read that right. Ford is leveraging its cutting-edge technology to offer the first commercially available full-size pickup truck with a hybrid powertrain. To some, this may sound like a risky proposition. Early hybrid vehicles were noted for delivering great mileage but at the expense of power, handling, and performance. When it comes to a pickup truck, you don’t want to have to compromise on towing trailers and hauling cargo. However, Ford has made sure you don’t need to make this compromise.
The new hybrid engine on the Ford F-150 will give you the ability to get incredible fuel economy without sacrificing any of the features you want and need in your truck. If anything, the 2021 Ford F-150 with the hybrid engine will actually give you more features than you have ever imagined. In addition, the 2021 F-150 comes in seven different trims and plenty of optional features that you will have no problem making sure you can customize the F-150 to suit your work and lifestyle. This truck has so much to offer, so today, we are going to look at some of the highlights.
Did You Say “Hybrid”?
Let’s first look at the most unique part of this truck: its hybrid capabilities. The 2021 Ford F-150 has the option to feature a 3.5-liter PowerBoost Full Hybrid V6 engine. This will provide you with an estimated range of 700 miles on just one tank of gas, so you can spend more time driving your truck and less time sitting in line at the service station. And, of course, there knowing that you are going green is an added benefit. But, how exactly does this all happen? Well, the V6 works with a 35kW electric motor operating off of a 1.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. The hybrid will coordinate between these two powertrains to drive your Ford F-150. The engine also features a 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission to provide you with the maximum control over your truck’s performance.
Some folks worry that a hybrid engine just isn’t going to generate enough torque for your truck. Don’t worry; Ford has you covered. The 2021 Ford F-150 with the hybrid engine is rated to be able to tow up to 12,000 pounds of trailer. That is really incredible when you consider that the 2020 Ford F-150 with a conventional gas engine tows between 7,700 pounds and 13,200 pounds.
Additionally, depending on your engine choice, you can get up to three levels of electrical output to use as a mobile generator for your tools or electronics. The hybrid engine provides an amazing 7.2kW of available output from the Pro Power Onboard. With the 2021 Ford F-150, your days of hauling around a gas generator in your truck are over. No more taking up space in the cargo bed and no more messing with jerry cans of gasoline. In fact, you can even utilize the Pro Power Onboard when your truck is in park. As Ford F-150’s chief engineer Craig Schmatz explains, “We see it as our duty to deliver not just what our customers want and need, but what they might have never thought possible.” The new hybrid engine and Pro Power Onboard exemplify this goal of Ford’s truck division.
Stay in Sync With SYNC 4
The 2021 Ford F-150 is being offered in seven different trims, starting with the XL and STX, then going up to the XLT, Lariat Sport, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited. The special features increase as you move up the line, peaking at the Limited trim, which is fully loaded. But one of the coolest features offered across the board is the all-new Ford SYNC 4 infotainment system, standard on all 2021 Ford F-150 trucks.
This system allows you to wirelessly connect your smartphones and devices to the system so that you can access Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and special SYNC AppLink apps like Ford+Alexa and Waze. The SYNC 4 represents over twice as much computing power as the current SYNC 3 system and provides over 10,000 hours of accessible on-demand programming content so that you never have to listen to the same thing twice unless you really want to. The SYNC 4 system also gives you real-time over-the-air updates, so you can stay connected. This will help you stay in sync when you’re traveling the roads in your 2021 Ford F-150. If you opt for the XLT or any other trim above, the system will feature a massive 12-inch color touchscreen, instead of the standard 8-inch screen.
In addition, on higher trims, you will have the option of adding the eight-speaker Bang & Olufsen Sound System to your F-150. Not many other trucks on the market offer a built-in stereo of this quality. And for the real audiophiles among the truck enthusiasts, Ford is offering an optional 18-speaker B&O Unleashed Sound System in the 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited trims. This includes speakers in the headliner and front headrests for maximum sound distribution, giving you concert hall quality sound in a full-size pickup truck. The entertainment in this truck is endless.
Embracing the New, Inside and Out
Beyond infotainment, there are so many incredible new options and features on the 2021 Ford F-150 that it almost seems impossible to list them all, let alone explain who they will give you a first-class experience with your new truck. It starts with the eleven different grille options. By adding this choice to the seven trims, the choice of three cab configurations, and 2X4 or 4X4 drivetrains, Ford is giving you the ability to make this truck a customized vehicle to meet your needs and exceed your expectations. The Ford F-150 combines a high-strength steel frame with a military-grade high-strength aluminum alloy body, so you know your truck is truly Built Ford Tough. This will give you the peace of mind that your F-150 can stand up to the toughest jobs you can come up with.
The Ford engineers have come up with some innovative ways to maximize space on your truck. The optional Tailgate Work Surface allows you to turn the cargo bed into a convenient area to work while on the job. This carries over to the available Interior Work Surface, allowing you to use your pickup truck’s cab as an area to do paperwork and computing since you can link your device to the SYNC 4 system with 4G Wi-Fi connectivity.
The interior of this all-new F-150 is unlike any you’ve ever seen on a full-size truck. The roomy interior includes optional front row captain chairs on all trims. The King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited trims also offer optional Max Reclining Seats that tilt as far as 180 degrees back. Just don’t tilt them all the way back when you’re driving! With a spacious interior like this, it wouldn’t surprise me to see many truckers opting for the Interior Work Surface since you can easily turn your 2021 Ford F-150 into a mobile office space. With all of these options, features, and upgrades, the 2021 F-150 can be almost anything you, as a driver, need it to be.
Ford Keeps Pushing Limits
Sometimes, it doesn’t seem possible, but Ford keeps pushing the envelope with their industry-leading F-150 pickup truck. The ability to offer a hybrid truck with this much power, fuel efficiency, and so many cutting-edge features should put Ford at the forefront of the truck market. With a hybrid F-150, you can go green without giving up anything you love about driving a truck. And with any 2021 F-150, you can drive around with comfort and convenience.
