Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) has announced plans to release a diesel engine version of their best selling F-150 pickup truck this spring. Ford executives said the diesel model of the F-150 is expected to get 30 miles per gallon fuel efficiency on the highway and will come with a 10-speed transmission. Executives also said the diesel F-150 pickup truck will cost an estimated $2,400 to $4,000 more than a comparable truck.
According to a press release from Ford, the diesel F-150 will have a towing capacity of 11,400 pounds, 2,020 pounds of payload capacity, a 250 horsepower 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel engine, and 440 lb.-ft. of torque. The Ford truck team also tested the car in extreme driving conditions, opting for a mechanical engine-driven fan rather than electric cooling fans found commonly in other competing diesel trucks.
“We know that competing diesels with electric cooling fans have to dial back on power under extreme heat and altitude, so we decided on a viscous-controlled mechanical fan that has the capacity to move much more air across the radiator and intercooler in extreme conditions,” said David Ives, Ford diesel engine technical specialist. “This gives F-150 Power Stroke owners more power and more passing capability in harsh conditions.”
Executives speculate that about 5 percent of all F-150 models will be ordered with the diesel engine option once production begins.
Full sized pickup truck sales in the U.S. have seen an increase in recent years as gas prices have become more stabilized. In 2017, Ford sold 896,764 F-series trucks, more than any other year since 2005.
Ford will begin taking orders for the 2018 diesel version of the F-150 starting mid January, with deliveries beginning this spring.
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