- Ford F-150 Hybrid powertrain updated for 2024
- Hybrid F-Series models no longer tremble and judge
- The IF-150 Hybrid costs $59,345, delivering good value for the money
Ford has updated the F-150 Hybrid. Based on how well the Hybrid now drives, tows, and produces way to high mpg, it probably should have been the headline all along.
I 2024 Ford F-150 The program has come with an update that can be classified as soft but meaningful. The headlines are about a new tailgate that might have a door, and some nice interior features, but underneath it all the real news is the Blue Oval. fix the hybrid option.
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
I tested the power of the hybrid truck by pushing my dad and some friends in a leather-trimmed Platinum hybrid model and then headed to Canada to go fishing. But first I ran the kids all over town on their various jobs.
All in all, I found that America's best-selling car now has a hybrid powertrain that's a smooth operator that delivers real-world fuel economy. It's also a rolling generator to boot.
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
The Ford F-150 Hybrid iron shakes
A hybrid version of the F-150 released in 2021 with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 that spits out 400 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque alone. That's paired with a 1.5-kwh lithium-ion battery pack that powers a 35-kw (47-hp) electric motor mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The total output is in 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque. Those power ratings haven't changed, and they're still among the most powerful full-size pickups money can buy, regardless of the Raptor or RHO badge.
While the powertrain has plenty of power delivered instantly with torque from the electric motor filling the gap as the turbos spool, it wasn't smooth. The power handoff from the electric motor and the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts were hard enough to shake the driveline.
Ford fixed the vibration and smoothed over the difficulty in part with new powertrain calibration software for the hybrid system. Ford also simplified the powertrain by removing the secondary starter that was combined with the accessory belt drive. Ford spokeswoman Dawn McKenzie told Green Car Reports that the new powertrain calibration allows Ford to be able to make the hybrid motor engage and rotate the engine in the transmission. The result is smooth power consumption and 1-2 and 2-3 shifts that were barely noticeable in the $87,625 F-150 Platinum hybrid test truck, even when the transmission and powertrain are cold.
Unfortunately due to hardware changes over software McKenzie told GCR that the 2021-2023 F-150 Hybrids will not receive the new calibration. Those trucks are stuck with strong hand power and 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
The Ford F-150 beats the EPA economy ratings
Today's IF-150 Hybrid comes in at 22 mpg city, 24 highway, 23 combined. Depending on how you drive, you may see that kind of efficiency. Around town during 76 miles of mixed urban driving the truck claimed an average of 18.4 mpg. On the highway with four adults and a bed almost overflowing with fishing gear the truck averaged 20.4 mpg over the course of 686 miles while traveling above 70 mph. But at 65 mph with the same load the truck averaged 24.4 mpg. There's plenty of power here, and if the driver can keep his foot on it, and keep the speed at or near the speed limit, the current EPA economy ratings seem achievable. The 5.0-liter V-8 in this truck will be a measure between the youth around town and the youth high on the highway, giving the hybrid a solid improvement of 3-5 mpg.
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
The Ram still tops the Ford in interior and ride quality
The powertrain has been improved, but Ford has yet to win the interior or ride quality competition with the Ram 1500.
Inside the upgrades are still a full step behind what's available in the Ram. The leather isn't soft, the plastics aren't well-polished, there's little real metal, and the plastic grab handles on the A-pillars that stare you in the face aren't wrapped in leather. But Ford's 12.0-inch digital gauge cluster is class-leading, with large numbers and easy-to-read truck system data at a glance. The 12.0 inch touchscreen interface is also one of the best, with the ability to easily split the screen and even wireless Apple CarPlay. The menus are easy to navigate and similar to using an iPad.
Ford claims to have retuned the adaptive suspension for a more comfortable ride. But the Ram is still smooth—by a lot. Ford's rear leaf springs are set to pull a ton of weight (in some configurations the F-150 can tow up to 13,500 pounds) so the truck sits with the front end lower than the rear when loaded. Adaptive shocks paired with stiff leaf springs can't match the ride control, or comfort, of the Ram's rear coil springs.
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
BlueCruise is still in second place
Despite the many improvements it has smooth edges in straight line tracking and handling curves Ford's BlueCruise driver assistance system you stay tight in the middle second place. The program is a full league behind GM's Super Cruise program.
A friend of mine, a systems engineer, riding in the back of an F-150 to Canada almost had a heart attack as the Star White Metallic F-150 struggled to track a straight line down the road. His heart rate raced as the truck found the edges of our lane several times around small turns, and he bailed out and gave control of the truck back to me in the middle of the turn on I-94.
That's before talking about the struggle the infrared camera system had to see my eyes through my polarized sunglasses. It's a problem I haven't experienced on other BlueCruise vehicles. The system struggled until it forced me to take control of the truck, even though I already had a hand on the wheel.
2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid
The Ford F-150 hybrid shows that the price is worth it
The average price of a pickup truck is around $66,000.
2024 Ford F-150 hybrid it costs $59,345which isn't cheap, but it's also less than the average cost of today's standard truck. That's for the XLT model, along with a standard 2.4-kw central electric that includes standard indoor AC outlets in the bed.
My truck was far from that. At $87,625 as-tested my Platinum tester had everything from the color-up display and leather-trimmed interior to heated, cooled, and heated bucket seats, 22-inch wheels, and wheel well liners. But importantly it had a 7.2-kw high-output external power system, with four 20-amp, 120-volt AC outlets in the bed and a 240-volt 30-amp outlet.
Buy a truck, get a generator. Or opt for the 7.2-kw system in the less expensive Lariat. Either way, it's a killer performance for the F-150 Hybrid. For the Lariat that high output costs just $850. I would be the first to tell my wife that it is less than what I would buy for a good generator.
With updated software and hardware, the hybrid F-150 pickup truck finally feels stripped down and like the segment game changer it was meant to be. Who needs a towable generator that tows four adults and all their fishing gear? IF-150 hybrid is ready.