Pickup Truck Review: 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat Hybrid

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All-electric trucks have been promised by a few manufacturers now, but don’t expect to actually buy one just yet. Practical battery trucks will likely get here one day, but it’s going to be later rather than sooner.

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But engine-plus-electrification is here, and Ford offers it on its new 2021 F-150 hybrid. It’s not the first-ever full hybrid truck, but it’s the only one on the market right now. “Full” means it can drive on its battery alone, including in four-wheel-drive, under the right conditions.

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Pickup Truck Review: 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat Hybrid Back to video

Rather than a stand-alone model, the hybrid system is an option, which Ford calls PowerBoost. It’s on crew cab models only, available on every trim, including the base XL that was initially going to be fleet-only. The system self-charges through regenerative braking and engine power, and you don’t plug this truck in.

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Ford calls the 2021 F-150 all-new. It’s not entirely so from the ground up, but rather a blend of new with tried-and-true. It rides on the same frame as before, and while all body panels are restyled, it has the same overall dimensions as before. It isn’t any smaller – it’s still unnecessarily oversized – but it also isn’t any bigger, and that’s good news.

Most engines carry over from last year’s model, with power improvements to some of them. All come with a ten-speed automatic transmission, including the hybrid. You can opt for a 3.3L V6 or 5.0L V8; 3.0L V6 turbodiesel; or 2.7L V6 or 3.5L V6 with turbocharging, which Ford calls EcoBoost.

The hybrid option builds on the turbo 3.5L. The gas-electric combination creates 430 horsepower and 570 lb-ft of torque – the highest numbers of all the F-150’s engines. Ram 1500 also uses a mild hybrid system , called eTorque, but it’s primarily to improve fuel economy. It can’t drive on electricity alone, and the system doesn’t bump up the horsepower or torque.

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How much to add the F-150’s hybrid system depends on what engine is standard in your trim level. It’s a step up in cost from that engine — the cheaper the stock engine, the more you’ll pay to go hybrid, and it ranges from $2,200 to $5,750. On my Lariat tester, which starts with the 2.7L V6, the hybrid is $4,850 extra. (By comparison, optioning the 3.0L diesel in my truck is $7,350.)

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So is it worth it? Natural Resources Canada pegs the hybrid’s combined fuel consumption at 9.8 L/100 km, while the non-hybrid 3.5L V6 is rated at 12.0 L/100 km. Real-world is always different, of course, and as with any hybrid, how much you’ll save depends on a few factors, including your driving habits.

I’d like to see comparison fuel numbers back-to-back when towing. Consumption always jumps dramatically with a heavy trailer, and I wonder how much of a difference it’ll make when some of that pulling power is provided fuel-free by the electric motor. The hybrid rates a maximum towing capacity of 12,700 lbs in 4×2; and 12,400 lbs in 4×4.

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The F-150 drives on its battery alone, but there’s a lot of truck for it to move around, and it isn’t as quick to go electric-only as a hybrid car or small SUV will do. I got several kilometre-plus stretches at 80 km/h on it, but you do need a light foot. Rather than a full substitute for the gas engine, consider the electric motor primarily as a complement to it.

For the most part, the driving experience feels conventional. The system automatically switches between gas, electric, or a combination as needed, and the engine shuts off when you stop for a light. There’s a rumble when it starts up again from full stop, but the switchover during driving is generally seamless, and often I had to look at the gauge to see what propulsion method was in play.

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As for on-road manners, the F-150 is a decent driver, with smooth and responsive steering – albeit with a wide turning circle – and a very comfortable ride that soaks up nasty bumps before they get to the occupants.

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The cabin is completely redesigned and it’s handsome. My Lariat 4×4 was only two steps up from the base XL, with three more trims above it, but the materials, fit-and-finish, and overall look were top-drawer (keeping in mind its $64,195 starting price, of course). The 12-inch infotainment screen is horizontal, which I prefer to Ram’s vertical screen; and best of all, most functions – climate, heated seats and steering wheel, and stereo – are handled by buttons and dials. That’s far less distracting than onscreen menus and icons.

Ford’s added a few new features, either standard or as optional equipment, across the F-150 lineup. My truck had a B&O “Unleashed” sound system, which includes speakers in the headrests and headliner; it’s an extra $800 but certainly upped my always-listening-to-opera game. I also had an interior work surface, for $200. To operate it, you first press a button so the gearshift lever folds flat (it’ll pop back up if there’s something in the way), and then unfold the top of the console over it, to create a flat surface for a laptop or your lunch. Also available are fold-flat front seats, for lunchtime snoozing on the job site.

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For extra storage, my truck had a pop-up bin under the rear seats. For $1,300, I was given power running boards, and new this year, they’ve been extended to behind the rear doors, so they can double as steps up into the bed, instead of the separate kick-step that was there. There’s a button on the end that you can kick to operate them, without opening the doors. The tailgate step returns, which pops out of the gate and opens into a step and handle.

A new and very cool-and-useful feature is an on-board generator, with plugs in the bed. You can option a 2.0-kilowatt version on the V8 or turbocharged V6, which Ford says is enough to simultaneously run a TV, speakers, electric heater, mini-fridge, and blender.

A 2.4-kilowatt unit comes standard with the hybrid, and you can up that to 7.2-kilowatt, as mine was, for an extra $1,000. That would likely be money well-spent by contractors, because it can run multiple power tools at the same time. And unlike a portable generator, it doesn’t take up any cargo space, and can’t be stolen out of the bed.

The 2021 F-150 may not be an entirely clean-sheet design, but as next-generation makeovers go, this is an exceptionally good one. Ford has listened to consumers and fleet customers, and adapted the truck’s features to both types of buyers without compromising either one. The hybrid is going to be relatively low-volume, but this truck has to appeal to a very wide range of drivers. Adding a gas-electric choice is one more step in achieving that.

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