On September 17th, Ford celebrated the production start of its all new aluminum-bodied F-150 trucks at its Ford Rouge Center manufacturing plant in Dearborn, MI. The new F-150 lineup includes multiple powertrain options, including the first ever PowerBoost hybrid and an all electric motor.
In addition, the company also confirmed construction of the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center where it plans to build the all electric F-150 by mid-2022. The new manufacturing plant at the Rouge Center, once complete, will provide 300 jobs to the area, and is part of a $700 million investment to expand production. The new jobs will support battery assembly and production of the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid and fully electric F-150.
Overall, Ford plans to invest more than $1.45 billion and create approximately 3,000 jobs over the next three years in Michigan alone. “We are proud to once again build and innovate for the future here at the Rouge with the debut of our all-new F-150 and the construction of a modern new manufacturing center to build the first ever all electric F-150,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “This year’s COVID-19 crisis made it clear why it is so important for companies like Ford to help keep our U.S. manufacturing base strong and help our country get back to work.”
The All-Aluminum Bodied 2021 F-150
The 2021 F-150 provides the most towing and payload of any light-duty full-size pickup thus far and introduces all-new features to increase customer productivity. Ford stuck with the all-aluminum body for the 2021 model, which rides on a steel frame. There will be six total engine options, with five carried over from the previous generation.
One of the powertrain options is the first-ever full-hybrid variant for the pickup. The PowerBoost hybrid variant uses a 3.5 liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine backed by Ford’s modular hybrid transmission (MHT), which clutches a 35-kW (47-hp) electric motor, in the P2 position, to the 10-speed 10R80 automatic transmission. Finishing off the system is a 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack situated under the cargo bed.
Over-the-air updates will help keep F-150 at the forefront of technology, and the “Pro Power Onboard” system turns the truck into a portable power generator, with four 120-volt 20-amp outlets mounted in the bed. The power is active while the truck is in motion or not, so tool batteries can be charged while driving.
“The critical launch of the all-new F-150 is now underway — on time and with the Built Ford Tough quality our customers demand to get the job done,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s chief operating officer and incoming CEO. “F-Series pickups are the backbone of work and productivity across the country. And now we are preparing to build a fully electric version of America’s most popular vehicle, and it will be a seriously capable, purpose-built tool for serious truck customers.”
All-Electric 2022 F-150
According to Ford, the electric F-150 — which is undergoing tens of thousands of hours of torture testing and millions of simulated laboratory and real world test miles — will be more powerful than any F-150 available today. The electric truck will also deliver the lowest expected lifetime total cost of operation among F-Series trucks.
The company says that contrary to what one may imagine, the all-electric F-150 will feature dual electric motors targeted to deliver more horsepower and torque than previous F-150 models. It will provide the fast acceleration and the ability to tow heavy trailers, as shown in the video below, with the prototype towing over 1 million lbs.
Additionally, electric vehicles including the electric F-150 will require significantly less maintenance than a typical gasoline engine, creating more than 40% savings for its lifetime total cost of operation. Like the rest of the all-new F-150 lineup, the electric F-150 will continuously improve over time with fast over-the-air updates.