Ford already thinking about more aerodynamic F-150
click above for more high-res pics of the 2009 Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 is America's annual best seller, moving more units than anything else since Jimmy Carter was president. It's also one of the most challenged when it comes to cutting through the air, although we know there's worse. If the F-150 is going to clear the hurdle of new CAFE regs, that's going to change: its combined 16.5 mpg won't make it any friends come 2020.
Ford designers, led by North American Design Director Peter Horbury, are already looking at ways to make the next generation F-150 more aerodynamic, despite the all-new 2009 Ford F-150 having just debuted. The problem is, there simply aren't many options for making a difference: the only two components are the giant block of a passenger compartment and the massive drag-creating void of a bed behind it. Ford design did attempt to go a little aero with the front end of the 10th generation 1997-2003 F-150, but that, frankly, wasn't what people expected from an American pickup.
[Source: Auto Week]
Gallery: 2009 Ford F-150
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And Horbury mentions those expectations as problem. Discussing the idea of moving the windshield forward, he said "Nissan has a hard time trying to sell people that idea, but maybe the time has come." While there could arguably be greater reasons for Nissan's difficulty in capturing truck share with the Titan, it is well known that pickup truck buyers are a knowledgeable group who know what they want. Dynamic aero aids, then, could be on the cards. An F-150 with a Carrera GT-style retractable wing? Or perhaps a Kenworth-like sleeper cab over the rear passengers?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
jared.wedel 11:45PM (1/28/2008)
Well frankly, many people who buy these trucks dont give that much of a care what the aerodynamics are. I sure as heck don't. What you city dwellers need to understand is that many peolple still look for ruggedness, ease of use, and capabilities in a full sized pickup. What rancher is gonna care about areodynamics when he is pulling a trailer load of cattle down a gravel road to new wheat pasture, or going across a plowed field to pick up his son as he gets off the tractor for the evening? I would like to see some pickups HIGHER off the groung to begin with, at least the 4x4 models. More usable and friendly storage would be great too. and some REAL front bumpers, not a flimsy plastic that is found on most everthing these days. Don't get me wrong, we have 5 Ford trucks sitting on our farm that we use everyday, and we use the heck out of them, because they are about the all around most rugged, cappable and usable trucks there are. That's my 2 cents.
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eric 4:35PM (1/22/2008)
ha, an aerodynamic truck??? good luck with that one defying physics, but then again porsche did it with the 911
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Matt 5:12PM (1/22/2008)
Yes, but there is no reason why Ford had to design the new F-150 so slab sided. It's like all they had to design (and I use that term loosely) with was a ruler.
Daniel 5:20PM (1/22/2008)
The F650 and F750 styling would be killer in a pickup. And, it would have better areodynamics. Another no brainer for FoMoCo. Just do it.
geo.stewart 6:02PM (1/22/2008)
its all relative. look at the Navistar (ProStar). its more aerodynamic than the freightliner version. still attractive, and that 5% adds up.
most of the time you talk to anyone who works a work truck, they dont care what it looks like. The guy who buys it so he can carry a bag of seed and 2 bales of pine straw for his yard wants to look tough.
there are probably small things that can be done. I also dont think CAFE will measure with options like bedliners and taking the tailgate off. I'm curious if doing something like Honda did with the Ridgeline bed would help, but then it might hinder useability.
paul34 7:36PM (1/22/2008)
Funny that there's an article about a new "Ute" a few articles down on the front page compared to this article.
Not only are they much more practical (and you are able to make it aerodynamic - with a large truck like this that has such a fundamentally blocky front end, its rather difficult), but there's also still nothing stopping you from dropping in a large, torquey motor.
Will 4:38PM (1/22/2008)
I think the public will be ready to give up some of the "tough truck" styling they love to get better gas mileage by the time the new 150 comes out.
Of course, the 4.4 diesel and the ecoboost engines will help too.
I think the main problem is that trucks today are so big and expensive, and really aren't as useful as they claim to be.
It's time to either downsize a little or at least stop growing.
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Kowell 4:41PM (1/22/2008)
Full Size pickups have their use... The problem is with the ridiculously high number of people that buy this as a "family car"...
psarhjinian 4:56PM (1/22/2008)
Scrap the CAFE exceptions for light trucks and you'll very quickly see fewer people buying these as family cars. The reason people bought these (and why manufacturers made them) is that it allowed a larger vehicle without paying as much as a penalty.
I like CAFE in principle but the exemptions (trucks, flexfuel) are complete porkbarrels.
Daniel 5:37PM (1/22/2008)
You can still have Tough Truck styling and improve areodynamics by simply giving the front end a slippery rake as in the F750. Also, speaking of tough trucks - most of the new big rigs have areo styling. I would think that the bigger truck look has even more "Tough Truck" appeal and it reduces drag at the same time. I am sick of pickups looking like a brick.
Jared 6:23PM (1/22/2008)
No, you've got the wrong approach. Scrap CAFE altogether. And throw out CARB as well. Just increase the fuel tax, like they do in Europe. THAT is what will change the vehicle mix.
CAFE is basically trying to push on a rope -- it tries to make the automakers sell vehicles that the public doesn't want to buy. It is much more effective to simply change what the public wants to buy via the price elasticity of the demand for gasoline. The price goes up and people will want to buy more efficient vehicles.
MikeW 7:08PM (1/22/2008)
ZF's 8 speed automatic will help.
You can have a ridiculously tall top gear. Say 45mph / 1K rpm with the 5.4 V8 4x2.
1st-25@4100
2nd-45@4900
3rd-70@5100
4th-90@5000
5th-120@5160
6th-130.5@4350 (governed for H rated tires)
7th-125@3500 drag limited
8th-110@2450 drag limited
I used assumptions about the current 5.4, instead of the updated one.
Patrik K 4:40PM (1/22/2008)
Leaving the truckbed door open at an angle of about 15 degrees would probably already make the helluva difference.
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retsel 5:07PM (1/22/2008)
that wont help... the closed truck bed causes a distended vortex to form that lets air pass over it and actually reduces the drag. open the lift gate and the vortex moves backwards and pushes the back of the vehicle down and significantly increases drag and reduces fuel economy.
fizzandpop 5:08PM (1/22/2008)
Didn't they do this test on Mythbusters? (That's where I get all my scientific facts.) I think they tested door open, no door, that net thing, and door closed. Nothing seemed to make a difference.
johnny 5:33PM (1/22/2008)
The POS mythbusters used a crewcab model with a 5 foot bed.
On an 8 foot bed it makes a difference to have no tailgate.
That show is so wrong its unbelievable.
TriShield 4:41PM (1/22/2008)
There's no reason trucks would have to give up any capability if Ford made a miserly fleet of cars to offset it. I also wouldn't be surprised to find out that the new CAFE regs are loaded with loopholes to help out truck dependent manufacturers or not fine them.
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Dan 5:07PM (1/22/2008)
Making a miserly fleet of cars is one thing, making consumers buy them is another.
Ideological masochists aside, people don't want tiny s--tboxes and the only way they will buy them is if they have no choice about it. That may very well be what happens, but all of the ways I can think of - leftist government, oil supplies cut off, economic crash, etc - will kill the market for the pickup trucks we're balancing out in the same stroke.
Matt Bateman 4:45PM (1/22/2008)
"Ford design did attempt to go a little aero with the front end of the 10th generation 1997-2003 F-150, but that, frankly, wasn't what people expected from an American pickup."
Based on what information? As you know, for the past 30 years the F-150 has been the top-selling truck (and the top-selling vehicle of any type for 25 of those years.)
Your opinions aside, sales numbers talk, and it sounds to me like the shape of the 10th generation truck was EXACTLY what people expected from an American pickup at the time.
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MemphisNET 4:53PM (1/22/2008)
I didn't mind the exterior styling of the 96-03 trucks. It was the then-new Ford Taurus bubble interior that threw me off.