Ford’s Oakville Pivot Could Bring Some Interesting Super Duty Variants
By Edward A. Sanchez — July 30, 2024
The top-level, partisan view of Ford’s announcement that it would be changing strategy with regard to its plant in Oakville, Ontario, from EV manufacturing to a second plant producing Ford Super Duty pickups was hailed by some conservatives as proof that “nobody wants EVs” and a gut-punch to EV advocates that were hoping for a full battery-electric SUV model. I think the reality that we’ll see from this development will be something altogether different.
Ford officially announced Oakville would start producing Super Duty models in mid-July 2024, with those trucks rolling off the assembly line beginning in 2026. An interesting comment in Ford’s official release is that this announcement would “pave the way for multi-energy technology to the next generation of Super Duty trucks.”
In my opinion, of the U.S. OEMs, Ford is one of the best companies when it comes to listening to its customers and incorporating that feedback into its future models, particularly when it comes to its truck models. This should come as no surprise, as the F-Series has been the company’s consistent moneymaker for more than four decades.
The Super Duty is widely used by fleets as a workhorse of the industry. Since its introduction in 1999 as a distinctly unique variant of the F-Series, it has continuously evolved, adding features and greater capability with successive model iterations. Although not particularly earth-shattering in the EV age, the current Super Duty’s optional 6.7L PowerStroke diesel outputs an HD-truck class-leading 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers are approaching Class 8 trucks from not long ago. With a gooseneck hitch, the F-450 equipped with the Power Stroke can tow a massive 40,000 pounds.
Clearly, Super Duty buyers are interested in capability. But how many of them look at the 7.2 kW output on the F-150 PowerBoost, and the 9.6 kW on the Lightning, and wish they could have that level of power? Current Super Duty models are limited to a measly 2 kW of power output, and two 120V outlets in the bed, below even the base-level 2.4 kWh offered on the F-150 PowerBoost with the option.
I would say the likelihood of a Super Duty PowerBoost model are excellent, along with at least 7.2 kW of exportable power. Will it be available with the Power Stroke? Just the 7.3L gas engine? Who knows. It would probably be a popular option with both. Although HD trucks are not officially tested and rated by the EPA for fuel economy, that’s not to say that HD truck buyers don’t care about fuel economy. Quite the contrary. Even a 15-20% improvement would be noticed and appreciated.
Getting back to Ford’s comment in its release saying the next-gen Super Duty would feature “multi-energy technology” – that could mean almost anything from auto stop-start, to series or parallel hybrid, to PHEV. If there’s one thing Super Duty customers care about, it’s capability. Granted, an additional battery pack might impact towing or payload capacity, but it would add a lot of versatility in terms of exportable power and improved fuel economy. 18-20,000 pounds of towing, 2,500 pounds of payload, 9.6 kW of exportable power, plus 25% better fuel economy? Now that’s something truck buyers could get excited about.
(Image courtesy Ford / Tom Liu)
