2024 Ford F-150 Hybrid gets better

• Ford F-150 Hybrid powertrain updated for 2024
• Hybrid F Series models no longer vibrate
• The F-150 Hybrid is priced at $59,345, offering great value for money

Ford tinkered with the F-150 Hybrid. Based on how well the hybrid now drives, handles, and achieves higher mpg, it probably should have been a headline all along.

2024 Ford F-150 The staff came with a renewal that can be classified as slight but significant. Headlines were buzzing about a new tailgate that might include a door and nicer interior materials, but the real news was the Blue Oval underneath. refined the hybrid choice.

I loaded my dad and some friends into the leather-wrapped Platinum hybrid model, tested the hybrid truck’s powertrain, and headed to Canada to go fishing. But first, I took the kids to various activities all over the city.

Through it all, I discovered that America’s best-selling vehicle now has a hybrid powertrain that’s a smooth operator that’s truly fuel-efficient. It’s also a rolling generator to boot.

Ford F-150 Hybrid eliminates tremors

Hybrid version of F-150 Released for 2021 The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 alone produces 400 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. This is paired with a 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that powers a 35 kW (47 hp) electric motor sandwiched to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Total output was set at: 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque. These power ratings remain unchanged and are still among the most powerful light-duty full-size pickups money can buy, regardless of the Raptor or RHO badge.

While the powertrain had plenty of power, instantly kicking in with torque from the electric motor bridging the gap as the turbo spool, it wasn’t smooth. With the 1-2 and 2-3 gear shifts, the power transfer from the electric motor was harsh enough to shake the drivetrain.

Ford smoothed out the jitters and partially overcome the kinks with a new powertrain software calibration for the hybrid system. Ford also simplified the drivetrain by eliminating the secondary starter integrated into the accessory belt drive. The new powertrain calibration allows Ford to let the hybrid engine take over and spin the engine through the transmission, Ford spokeswoman Dawn McKenzie told Green Car Reports. The result was smooth powertrains in the $87,625 F-150 Platinum hybrid test truck, with barely noticeable 1-2 and 2-3 shifts even when the transmission and drivetrain were cold.

Unfortunately, due to hardware changes that go beyond software, McKenzie told GCR that 2021-2023 F-150 Hybrids will not receive the new calibration. These trucks are stuck with tougher powertrains and 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.

Ford F-150 mostly hits EPA fuel economy ratings

Today’s F-150 Hybrid check-in time 22 mpg city, 24 highway, 23 combined. Depending on how you ride, you can actually see this kind of efficiency. The truck is claimed to average 18.4 mpg around town over 76 miles of mixed suburban driving. On the highway, with four adults and a bed nearly overflowing with fishing gear, the truck averaged 20.4 mpg for 686 miles while going over 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 out of it and keep the speed at or around speed limits, current EPA fuel economy ratings look achievable. A 5.0-liter V-8 in this truck will average a solid 3-5 mpg improvement in the mid-teens around town and the upper teens on the highway.

Ram still bests Ford in interior space and ride quality

Powertrains have been improved, but Ford still won’t win the interior or ride quality competition with the Ram 1500.

The improved materials are still a full step behind those found in the Ram. The leather isn’t as soft, the plastics aren’t as well-grained, there are fewer actual metal parts, and the in-your-face plastic grab handles on the A-pillars aren’t covered in leather. But Ford’s 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster is the best in the segment, with large numbers and easy-to-read data for the truck’s system at a glance. The 12.0-inch touchscreen’s interface is also one of the best, with the ability to easily split the screen even with wireless Apple CarPlay. Navigating the menus is easy and like using an iPad.

Ford said it retuned the adaptive suspension for a more comfortable ride. But Ram is still much smoother. Ford’s rear leaf springs are tuned to move a ton of weight (in certain configurations, the F-150 can tow up to 13,500 pounds) to the point where the truck is unloaded, with the front end of the truck lower than the rear. Adaptive shock absorbers paired with stiff leaf springs can’t match the ride control or comfort of the Ram’s rear coil springs.

BlueCruise remained in second place

Despite many improvements rough edges smoothed in straight line tracking and processing curves Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driver assistance system stays firmly inside second row. The system is a full league behind GM’s Super Cruise system.

My systems engineer friend, who was driving to Canada in the back of the F-150, nearly had a heart attack when his Star White Metallic F-150 was having trouble following a straight line on the road. The heart rate quickened even more as the truck found the edges of our lane several times on gentle curves before breaking free completely and returning control of the truck to me midway through the curve on I-94.

That’s before we even address the struggle the infrared camera system had having to see my eyes through my polarized sunglasses. It’s a problem I’ve never experienced with other BlueCruise vehicles before. The system was so challenged that it required me to take control of the truck, even though I had one hand on the steering wheel.

Ford F-150 hybrid shows value is relative

The average transaction price for a pickup truck is approximately $66,000.

2024 Ford F-150 hybrid costs $59,345That’s not cheap, but it’s also less than the average cost of today’s average pickup truck. This is for the standard 2.4 kW onboard power supply, including the XLT model and standard household AC outlets in the bed.

My truck was far from that. My $87,625 Platinum tester, as tested, had everything from a color head-up display and leather-trimmed interior to heated, cooled and massaging front bucket seats, 22-inch wheels and wheel well liners. But more importantly, the bed featured a higher-output 7.2 kW external power system with four 20-amp, 120-volt AC outlets as well as a 240-volt 30-amp outlet.

Buy the truck, buy the generator. Or go for the 7.2 kW system with a cheaper Lariat. Either way, great execution of the F-150 Hybrid. On the Lariat, this high production costs just $850. I would be the first to tell my wife that this is less than what I would buy a good generator for.

With updated software and hardware, the hybrid F-150 pickup truck looks like it’s finally complete and looks like a game-changer for the segment it’s destined to be. Who needs a spinning generator that will carry four adults and all their fishing gear? F-150 hybrid is ready.