Photo courtesy of USA Today/Gannett
Ford Motor Co. is set to debut its newly designed F-Series pickup truck lineup built with lightweight aluminum in place of steel.
The move is being dubbed a “high-stakes redesign of the top-selling pickup in history” by industry watchers.
The move to aluminum is expected to shed several hundred pounds—a move Ford is implementing to help meet rising federally mandated fuel-economy standards which will require automakers to achieve a 54.5 miles-per-gallon average by 2025.
While nobody is going to argue with the benefits of increased fuel efficiency, there are questions surrounding traditional pickup truck owners’—particularly the long-time Ford truck enthusiasts—willingness to buy a truck some perceive as being less durable and potentially having higher maintenance costs than steel-built vehicles.
After a nearly 50-year hiatus, aluminum started making a comeback in vehicle manufacturing with cars like the Audi A8, the Plymouth Prowler, and the Honda NSX.
The new F-Series will debut at the Detroit Auto Show. You can read more about the aluminum-intensive F-Series trucks in this USA Today story, and at Automotive News.
What do you think of Ford’s plans to introduce this new aluminum-built, lightweight pickup? Are you interested in owning one?
why don’t they build a aluminum , small diesel ranger?
Ford is steal #1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very nice
I average 24 mpg on my 2010 f150. If they would just change the shift point or put the standard shift transmission back in them would allow for better fuel mileage. My last one had a manual 5 speed and I averaged 26 mpg on a 1994 f 150
I am a steel worker and I drive a F-150. I am disappointed that they are going this route. Steel has proven that it is more durable than aluminum and carbon fiber. I think Ford will loose a large group of followers.
still a pile of junk!!!
[…] we asked you about your thoughts on the truck’s move to a more aluminum-intensive design—you can read that post here. While that post was opinion-oriented, we wanted to follow up with a Joe Friday-inspired post about […]