Ford is looking for options to extend its upcoming F-150 electric pickup range, and the answer might lie in a pint-sized gas-powered engine.
Ford is developing an electric variant of the F-150 pickup truck to compete with Tesla Cybertruck. However, reports suggest that a few EV issues have put off customers in the US. Namely, truck fans are worried about the electric-only range. Despite the advancement in battery technology, electric vehicles still lag behind gas-powered cars in that area. Moreover, refilling an empty tank is much shorter than recharging a depleted battery.
To address the problem, Ford may be looking at sneaking in a small range-extender gas engine, as demonstrated by patents published recently.
The F-150 range-extender won’t power the wheels itself, though. Instead, it will recharge the batteries while stationary or driving, just like a small gas or diesel generator. However, the engine needs to be small and light. Otherwise, it might hurt the electric-only range and performance, defeating the whole purpose of the system.
Moreover, the range-extender requires a fuel tank, an exhaust system, and all related parts. It’ll be interesting to see how Ford managed to pack all those things in a small package. As it stands, it’s possible that the manufacturer might even refer to a third-party for the development.
With that being said, Ford’s all-electric F-150 is expected to arrive in the next two years. And, with or without range-extender, we sure can’t wait to see it in action!
See also:
• 2021 Ford F-150 Gets a 430 HP Hybrid and Upgraded ICE Engines
• Ford is Developing a Multifunction Tailgate for the Next-Gen F-150
