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Originally Posted by gbaglo
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Originally Posted by rbryan4
The details seem pretty sketchy at this point Glenn, but if they can produce a hybrid that can actually tow and has adequate power, that'll just make the F150 more of a leader than it already is.
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The 2009-2013 GM Silverado/Sierra Two-Mode Hybrid already tested the market for hybrid pickup trucks; in this forum, Ellen (EDarby) has the SUV version, a 2009 Chev Tahoe. The Two-Mode pickup could tow any Escape, and the same hybrid transmission design is used by a medium-duty truck and bus version which could provide a pickup with the towing capacity of a conventional GM Silverado/Sierra 3500. As often happens, this was a little early and did not succeed commercially; maybe 2020 will be better timing. It was also extremely expensive to build, so GM lost lots of money on each one sold. Ford is probably counting on regulations forcing them to build hybrids, and subsidies making them cost-viable for buyers.
By the way, I suggest ignoring what these articles say about the GM hybrid pickup - at least two of them make blatantly incorrect statements, and all seem to be written by people who found the old "mild hybrid" thing in a Google search, but entirely missed the completely different Two-Mode hybrid.
I read a few other online articles, and they contain nothing but references to a promise from Ford at the 2017 Detroit auto show, and baseless speculation.
One article says that:
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Although details aren’t available yet, its drivetrain will use a turbocharged EcoBoost gasoline engine along with electric motors to provide “powerful towing and payload capacity,” according to Ford.
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That could mean as little towing capacity as the least capable F-150 currently sold... or as much as the best currently sold. There's no way to know at this point.