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Could Ford's Hybrid Mustang Engine Be Used in the F-150?

The next-generation Ford F-150 could possibly have an all-new hybrid V-8 powertrain option that uses a traditional longitudinal drivetrain (meaning power runs through the driveshaft to the rear axle) while a pair of electric motors provide power to the two front wheels.

According to AutoGuide, Ford applied for a patent for the new powertrain, which is expected to motivate the Ford Mustang Hybrid. AutoGuide is among the media outlets that have asserted that this system, in theory, also could work just as well with a V-8-powered full-size or smaller pickup truck.

A hybrid engine would deliver efficient four-wheel-drive capability while also providing plenty of grunt for hauling payload and towing with a traditional ladder-frame truck. The limited ability of a hybrid pickup truck to perform those tasks is what has kept truckmakers from offering hybrid powertrains in full-size pickups. They've been waiting for a hybrid-engine technological breakthrough that would allow half-ton and heavy-duty trucks to perform the work for which they are purchased. Could this engine be what Ford's been waiting for?

Of course, having smaller hybrid pickup truck choices might make even more sense, but mid-size sales numbers don't justify that kind of investment. Creating a hybrid system that could be used in F-150, F-250 or F-350 pickup trucks, especially in regard to fleet buyers who purchase tens of thousands of pickups each year, will clearly be more in Ford's best interests.

There's no word yet as to when or how this Ford engine may get included in the next-generation F-150 or Super Duty lineup, but it would shake things up in the pickup truck class — especially if fuel prices begin to creep up.