Ford’s F-150 is going hybrid, but could it go diesel too?

By Stephen Edelstein Published December 18, 2015

Ford CEO Mark Fields says the company will launch a hybrid pickup truck before the end of the decade, but that may not be the only efficiency-focused powertrain Ford is planning. Rumor has it that there’s a diesel F-150 prototype puttering around the carmaker’s Dearborn, Michigan, hometown.

A somewhat camouflaged F-150 sporting a Venturi exhaust tip indicates Ford is testing a diesel engine for its bestselling pickup truck, according to Autoblog. While a hybrid would be quite novel, a diesel F-150 could give Ford a powerful weapon in the truck fuel-economy wars.

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Ford just certified a 3.2-liter five-cylinder diesel engine for the Transit van, but the engine it’s eyeing for the F-150 is reportedly a 3.0-liter V6. Codenamed “Lion,” it’s the same engine used in the recently-launched Land Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Td6 models. Land Rover used to be owned by Ford.

The V6 produces 254 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque in the Land Rover models. If it gets installed under the F-150’s aluminum hood, it will reportedly be mated to a new 10-speed automatic transmission. This transmission will debut in the 2017 F-150 Raptor performance truck, but is expected to find its way into other F-150 models, and maybe even the Mustang.

With the current-generation F-150, Ford went to great lengths to improve fuel efficiency. It gave the truck a lighter aluminum body, and added a new 2.7-liter turbocharged EcoBoost gasoline V6. But the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and its 3.0-liter diesel V6 still beat the F-150 in fuel economy. The diesel engine and 10-speed automatic combination might be what Ford needs to finally beat Ram.

Diesel engines are becoming more popular in trucks as manufacturers look to increase fuel economy without upsetting notoriously picky truck customers. The redesigned 2016 Nissan Titan XD boasts a 5.0-liter diesel V8, and General Motors offers a 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel in its pair of mid-size trucks, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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The F-150 Lightning excels at everything but one crucial truck task

Ford F-150 Lightning

The Ford F-150 Lightning was one of the first electric trucks out there, and to this day, it's still one of only a few. The truck offers that much-loved F-150 design and hefty size, but swaps out the gas-powered engine for a super-quick electric powertrain that gives it the kind of zip you normally wouldn't expect from a truck at all.

But there are still a few things that make buying and using an electric truck a little ... challenging. After all, the use case for trucks is usually a little different than it is for a car, and that may complicate whether or not an electric truck is right for your needs.
Technically a beast
The Ford F-150 Lightning is incredibly powerful. That's immediately clear just by hitting the accelerator. It's very fast, especially for a vehicle of its size -- and some variants will get from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 4 seconds. Many much smaller and lighter electric cars can't even match that.

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Ford is only making 2,000 of these matte black F-150 Lightnings. Here’s your first look

An F-150 Lightning Platinum Black model in dim lighting.

The F-150 Lightning has been out for a while now, and based on the sales growth Ford has announced and the numbers I see around day-to-day, it isn't having any issue convincing people the Lightning is a worthwhile buy. That means it's time to start rolling out more trim options, right? Feast your eyes on the new, limited-edition F-150 Lightning Platinum Black.

The Platinum Black is, as you'd expect, based on the top-tier Platinum trim level of the Lightning. From there, it gets a whole bunch of exclusive cosmetic changes to ensure it'll stand out -- ironically, by blacking out everything. It starts life as a standard-painted Agate Black truck, and is immediately outfitted with a top-to-bottom matte black wrap -- save for the roof and mirrors, which stay glossy for a nice bit of contrast, matching the grille. The exclusive fat, six-spoke wheels are, you guessed it, matte black as well.

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Electric trucks aren’t ready for the big leagues — but I still loved the F-150 Lightning

Ford F-150 Lightning

Electric cars are getting pretty cool. While Tesla popularized the concept of a "fun" electric car, these days there are quite a few options out there, like the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and even some luxury options from Mercedes and BMW. These cars offer awesome performance and often a sweet design, making them excellent choices for first-time EV buyers.

But with electric trucks, it's a slightly different story. To be clear, they're just as powerful, -- often more so -- than electric cars. But when you're driving a truck, you expect to be able to use that power in different ways, and frankly, electric trucks seem to have a way to go before they'll hold up in those settings.
Towing is tough
The Achilles' heel of every electric truck comes down to hauling: Adding a ton of weight to the load seriously impacts range -- and not in a trivial way. Add a camper or even a lightweight trailer, and you might find that you're getting half of the expected range out of a charge. That means that you'll have to charge up more than every 150 miles, and if you're towing a camper, it's very likely that you're driving further than that. And even lighter loads can have a heavy impact on range.