We’re Driving The 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid – What Do You Want To Know?

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• How’s the rust on the undercarriage? When you park it overnight- will codes pop up, truck not start or both.

  • I have not had any issues starting the F-150.

• I’d like to know real-world MPG, per driving conditions: Hills, highways, city, stop-n-go 35-mph country roads...
  Please, and thank you.

  • I've been driving the F-150 around the NYC-area suburbs and put about 150 miles on it so far. It's registering 22 miles per gallon at the moment, but keep in mind it was pretty cold here until several days ago.

• WOW 76K, who can afford these things. Let's have a test on a truck us average Joe's can afford !!

• Several people have said they feel a shudder when shifting and or going from electric to gas and gas to electric. Your thoughts?

  • I wouldn't call it a shudder, but the shift at low speeds from electric to gas is definitely jarring. It seems like it happens when the truck comes out of EV power while the 10 speed is shifting from 1st to 3rd gear. The good news is that I quickly got used to it. Also, transitions at higher speeds are seamless.

• 1) Can you examine the rear end components for rust?

  2) How smooth is the transmission?

  • 1. We'll have some more additional pics on this particular F-150 uploaded soon, but I didn't think it had an abnormal amount of rust on it. It's most likely spent its time in the Northeast and it already had 5,000 miles on it by the time I was handed the keys.

    2. The transmission is a but abrupt at low speed when moving from pure electric to gas. Other than that, it's pretty smooth.

• I think this truck will be a big hit for Ford. Of course a lower price would be nice and increase sales so everybody wins!

• Can the Pro Power system supply 120 Volt while the truck is being driven on the road?

  • There is a 120V outlet in the back of the center console that can supply power, but that's the only power source of that sort that can do it while the truck is in motion. To access the full capability of the Pro Power Onboard system, the truck has to be in park.

• I buy a new 150 every 2 years. My newest will be equipped much like your test mule.

  1) Can you feel the difference between the 430HP vs the 375HP or does the extra weight of the hybrid outweigh the additional power.

  2) How many over-the-road miles/gasoline dollars will it take to recover the additional cost of the hybrid?

  • 1. I'm not sure where you're getting that 375 horsepower figure, but I can definitely endorse the PowerBoost. Acceleration is effortless, especially once it's at speed.

    2. That depends on a lot of factors, including how many miles are driven per year and the cost of gasoline. Keep in mind there are a lot of extra benefits for the hybrid that go beyond the cost of fuel savings, like the Pro Power Onboard system and the instant electric torque.

• On a cold start, does the engine start or is it electric only until the battery depletes or the load demands more power? Does it have a start stop feature and if the battery need charging, does it start stop at idle?

  • On a cold start the truck seems to determine whether or not the gas engine needs to power on. In cold weather, the gas engine will pretty much always come on until it gets warmed up, then it will shut off if it's not needed. In warmer weather the truck will start off in electric mode.

    There really is no start/stop system in the hybrid - that's what the battery is there to do. And as far as I know, it really won't be depleted to the point where it wouldn't be able to function when the truck is stopped. If anything, the gas motor would just run long enough to charge the battery at a stoplight or two until it could operate regularly, if needed.

• My questions are more about the hybrid recharge part.

  I have the exact same truck, just different color.

  Do you have any info from Ford how much break peddle does it take before you are actually using the truck breaks. I know the light use is actually using the generator to creating drag for a slow down to charge the battery.

  Is it better to lightly ride your breaks going down a hill for battery charge or let the transmission do the slow down? Both will add charge to the battery but don't know which one would be more efficient.

  They put a cargo camera mount focused on the bed of the truck so you can monitor any cargo you have, yet you can't use it while moving forward at speed.

  I am very impressed with my truck, I'm coming from a 2018 King Ranch 3.5 ecoboost and it was a great truck, this one is in a whole different lane up form it though. Increase in smoothness and very quite. The additional power is very noticeable.

  • You actually don't need to even "ride" the brakes when going downhill, the truck does regen braking whenever it can. I would highly recommend turning on the EV Coach function in the driver's instrument cluster, as it explains what exactly the truck is doing with its power management at all times - including the regen braking.

    • You right, I have use it some and watch the meter move as you coast and apply breaking.

      I have owned other hybrids years ago and the breaks never wear out because stopping would first use the regen breaking, you had to use harder breaking before it would be brake pads and rotor breaking.

  • Never ride the brakes on long down hill roads. You’ll glaze the pads and warp the rotors if they get too hot. If you need to brake down hill for a long period you pump the brakes, that is for about 4 or 5 seconds you brake hard then let off so the brakes can cool somewhat. This was one of the first things you learned in Drivers Ed class when all vehicles had shoe brakes. Of been on down hills where for five miles the brake lights are on the vehicle in front of me

    It’s great that the vehicle knows when to use regen braking and can make for safer operation.

    • Well, you can use light breaking with a hybrid because your not using the break pads. It's using the generator to achieve regen braking helping to charge the battery at a faster rate over just coasting. This also slows the vehicle down like when it uses break pads.

      I have watched my EV coach some to see when it stops increasing the amount of current while light breaking, was trying to tell when it actually starts using the break pads.