2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid gets 25 mpg, besting the Ram 1500 and Chevy Silverado
The 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid gets an EPA-rated 25 mpg combined, Ford announced Friday. Rear-wheel drive versions get 25 mpg city, 26 highway, 25 combined. With four-wheel drive, the bestselling pickup truck rates at 24 mpg across the board.
The new hybrid matches the rear-wheel-drive 2020 F-150 diesel, but the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 comes only with four-wheel drive this year, and is available on Lariat trims and higher for about $3,000 more, depending on trim. The Hybrid is available across the model lineup, including XL and XLT, and costs $500 less than the diesel. The 2021 four-wheel-drive diesel gets 20/27/23 mpg.
Another wrinkle in the spec efficiency comparison is that the Hybrid comes only as a SuperCrew cab that weighs more than the extended cab available to diesel buyers.
The 10-speed automatic transmission standard on every 2021 F-150 should keep the trucks in more efficient gears more often compared to last year’s standard 6-speed. With aero improvements such as an active air dam and subtly restyled front and rear ends for a better coefficient of drag, in addition to updated active grille shutters, fuel economy improved on most four-wheel-drive versions of the redesigned truck. The 2.7-liter turbo-6 with rear-wheel drive maintained the same 20/26/22 mpg as last year, but the four-wheel-drive version improved 1 mpg from 18/23/20 mpg in 2020 to 19/24/21 mpg this year.
Yet, the base engine on XL trims, a 3.3-liter V-6, actually lost 1 mpg from last year, dropping from 19/25/22 mpg to 20/24/21 mpg with rear-wheel drive. The four-wheel drive versions of the 3.5-liter turbo V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8 both improved by 1 mpg to 18/23/20 mpg and 16/22/19 mpg, respectively.
2021 Ford F-150
The 2021 F-150 hybrid powertrain available on all six trim levels uses a 3.5-liter turbo V-6 supplemented by a 47-horsepower electric motor powered by a 1.5-kwh lithium-ion battery pack. That briefcase-sized battery pack sits under the floor at the rear of the cab and doesn’t affect interior or bed space. It also doesn’t impede on the 30.6-gallon fuel tank mounted in the same area. The 24/24/24 mpg rating means the truck can cover more than 700 miles.
The 24 mpg combined rating with four-wheel drive compares favorably against the most efficient gas engines in four-wheel-drive versions of the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ram 1500:
-the 2021 Ram 1500 with a 3.6-liter V-6 and mild hybrid system gets 19/24/21 mpg;
-the 2021 Chevy Silverado with a 2.7-liter turbo-4 gets 19/22/20 mpg;
-the 2021 GMC Sierra with the same 2.7 gets 18/21/19 mpg.
Diesel versions of all these trucks get better highway ratings, but the F-150 Hybrid’s combined rating with four-wheel drive matches or exceeds the more expensive diesel options. The 2021 Ford F-150 hybrid costs between $2,500 and $4,495 extra depending on the configuration. It goes on sale later this month.