Ford working on F150 hybrid
linc Also mention in passing, a diesel is in the parts bin.Depending on the success of the Ram ED I suppose.
Forum Discussion
Two very different situations in the USA with which the truck manufacturers are grappling. With passenger vehicles they need to meed the CAFE federal standards that specify fuel economy averaged over all the vehicles sold. They have their most profitable vehicles, pickups and SUV's also providing the worst fuel economy.
The end result is production of hybrid vehicles and diesel engines powered ones that cost their customers more to buy but help the manufacturers to meet the CAFE numbers. Great when they can invest a little in R&D and then the burden shifts to their customers.
With commercial trucks it is very different and the move has been in part to hybrid and even all electric vehicles but where the largest growth has been in trucks powered in part or completely with liquified natural gas. With the big rigs towing trailers there has been a lot of development on hybrid diesel and LNG powered trucks. The good thing with this approach is that when the natural gas boom fades in a few years the fleet operators can switch back to diesel or if they truck is operating further out from a LNG filling station it still can run off the diesel.
The end result is production of hybrid vehicles and diesel engines powered ones that cost their customers more to buy but help the manufacturers to meet the CAFE numbers. Great when they can invest a little in R&D and then the burden shifts to their customers.
With commercial trucks it is very different and the move has been in part to hybrid and even all electric vehicles but where the largest growth has been in trucks powered in part or completely with liquified natural gas. With the big rigs towing trailers there has been a lot of development on hybrid diesel and LNG powered trucks. The good thing with this approach is that when the natural gas boom fades in a few years the fleet operators can switch back to diesel or if they truck is operating further out from a LNG filling station it still can run off the diesel.
