Autoblog

Plug-in hybrid Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks coming in 2013

Autoblog Staff — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Truck, Technology, Work, Ford, Diesel

Azure Dynamics has signed an agreement with Ford, whereby the Oak Park, MI firm will integrate its plug-in hybrid technology into Ford's F-Series Super Duty trucks.

Working in collaboration with Ford, Azure's plug-in hybrid technology will debut on the F-550 Super Duty chassis cab in early 2013. This agreement also allows for Azure to perform plug-in hybrid powertrain conversions on all available configurations of Ford's F-350 and F-450 trucks. Azure says that roughly two-thirds of its plug-in hybrid system will be applicable for all Super Duty configurations, with approximately one-third needing to be powertrain-specific (i.e. gasoline or diesel).

Additionally, the Azure-Ford agreement includes a so-called "ship-thru" provision that will allow Azure to sell its converted vehicles through qualified Ford Commercial Truck dealerships in North America. In 2009, Azure struck up a similar deal with Ford for the Transit Connect Electric.

Continue reading Plug-in hybrid Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks coming in 2013

Plug-in hybrid Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks coming in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy challenges Ford to HD towing contest, gets turned down

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Diesel

Numbers like maximum horsepower, torque and tow ratings are the heart and soul of the full-size heavy duty pickup truck segment. No shocker there. But how much reliance can consumers actually put on figures provided by the manufacturer? And, keeping in mind that the average test drive doesn't include hooking up a ten-ton trailer, how might we all get a proper frame of reference when judging one massive diesel beast with another?

Such questions may soon get an answer... other than this one, decided upon just a few weeks back. It seems that General Motors has issued a pretty straightforward challenge to Ford: a towing duel up mountain grades, followed by a comparison of factory-issued exhaust brakes on the way back down. (Sorry, Ram... guess you're not invited out to play.) Seems simple enough, no?

Here are some relevant statistics: Ford's (reflashed) 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 engine punishes the tarmac with an even 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. That's class-leading, as GM's 6.6-liter Duramax pumps out 397 horses and 765 pound-feet. Looking at those numbers, Ford wins... right?

Not so fast, says Chevrolet Silverado Marketing Manager Tony Truelove, "Numbers on paper are fine," he said. "Let's go work these trucks in the mountains, and may the best truck win." To which Ford Trucks spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari replied, "We challenge our trucks against the competition in grueling prove-out tests continually, and the customer gives us the results - sales leadership year after year."

That's right, The Blue Oval plainly and unsurprisingly declined Chevrolet's invitation. But the show must go on, and our friends at Pickuptrucks.com promise to be on hand in their very best black-and-white-striped shirts to serve as referees for the main event. Let's get ready to rumble!

Gallery: PickupTrucks.com Heavy-Duty shootout 2010

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Chevy challenges Ford to HD towing contest, gets turned down originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: 2011 Ford Super Duty pickups to start at $28,995

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Ford, Rumormill, Diesel

2011 Ford Super Duty - Click above for high-res image gallery

We know a whole heck of a lot about Ford's new 2011 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck lineup, but there are a number of important details that we're still waiting to be revealed. For instance, we know that it will come with an optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 engine that's capable of running on B20 biodiesel, but we don't know how much power it will produce.

As is the case with most new model launches, we're pretty sure the 2011 Super Duty will cost more than the truck it replaces, but we don't know by how much. Or do we? According to a report from Automotive News, citing "a dealer and a source familiar with the program," the 2011 F-Series Super Duty will carry a base price of $28,995.

If true, that would put the new truck exactly $2,145 over the 2010 model's $26,850 asking price. If you'd like to add the powerful new diesel V8, you can tack on (according to our friends at PickupTrucks.com) about ~~$6,500~~ $7,835 to that baseline amount. We contacted Ford for comment and got a, "We've not yet released pricing on the new Super Duty."

In any case, as with all heavy duty pickup trucks these days, expect options to drive up the price of the new behemoth from Ford into the stratosphere rather quickly. Will it be worth it? We'll know soon enough - expect a full report on the new HD hauler from us early next month.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Super Duty

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Rumormill: 2011 Ford Super Duty pickups to start at $28,995 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #147

Dan Roth — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Etc., Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Toyota, Rumormill

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #147 of the Autoblog Podcast is ready for your consumption. Chris calls in to Sam and Dan, and the trio bites into a few timely topics. BMW's move to put its turbo 4.4 liter V8 into the M5 is our first subject of conversation, before moving on to more powertrain news with the rumors that the 2011 Hyundai Sonata will be a four-cylinder-only affair. Audi's fuel mileage achievement with its A3 TDI is up next, before we go all power crazy and touch on Rhys Millen's mid-engined Genesis Coupe. Wrapping it up, we head to truckville, thinking about what it would mean for Chrysler to make Ram its own nameplate, ponder the new Toyota 4Runner, and finally chat about the new Ford SuperDuty before moving on to some of your excellent questions.

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with our survey and in iTunes, as always, drop us a line at Podcast at Autoblog dot com. See you again next week, and if you start to miss your Weblogs Inc. podcasts, there's our friends at Engadget and Joystiq to help get you through the pain.

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #147

Autoblog Podcast #147 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Ford Super-Duty to debut at Texas State Fair, on sale Q2 2010

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Technology, Ford, Diesel

2011 Ford "Scorpion" Power-Stroke 6.7-liter diesel V8 - Click above for high-res image gallery

As the official vehicle of the South, the Texas State Fair has become the prime venue for automakers to show off new pick-up trucks. In two weeks, Ford will use the fair to debut the 2011 Super-Duty range, which will receive the new 6.7-liter Power-Stroke (aka Scorpion) diesel V8. At a product briefing in Dearborn this week, Ford showed off the new engine and told us the updated big trucks would start production in the second quarter of 2010.

Ford also shared a few more details on the engine, but declined to reveal power and torque figures. However, we know a bit more about the new turbocharger, specifically the intake ducting feeding the turbo's inlets is designed to provide some passive flow control. Take a quick trip back to basic auto-shop class and you'll remember that the turbo has two smaller compressor wheels mounted back-to-back on a common shaft. At light load conditions, the shape of the inlet directs most of the flow to a single compressor. As the flow rate builds, it get redirected into the second compressor allowing more power to be produced. More after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Power-Stroke 6.7L diesel V8

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2011 Ford Super-Duty to debut at Texas State Fair, on sale Q2 2010

2011 Ford Super-Duty to debut at Texas State Fair, on sale Q2 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beware the Scorpion! 2011 Ford Super Duty gets all-new 6.7-liter diesel V8

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford, Diesel

2011 Ford "Scorpion" Power-Stroke 6.7-liter diesel V8 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford's issues with its long-time heavy duty diesel engine supplier Navistar will soon be coming to an end. The 2011 edition of the Ford Super Duty pickup will get an all-new diesel V8 designed in-house code-named Scorpion. So now, if Ford has any durability issues with its big diesels, it will have no one to blame but itself.

Officially the Scorpion retains the Power Stroke badge, but that and eight cylinders in a V-configuration are all that is carried over. The Scorpion engine picks up a variety of technologies that have been appearing on other recent engines, both gas- and diesel-fueled, as well as adding a few new tricks, particularly the turbocharger. The biggest change for the architecture is the move to an inside-out layout. Since the early days of the V-engine configuration, most examples have had the intake system mounted in the valley between the banks with the exhaust on the outside. Like BMW's new turbocharged gas V8 and GM's current on-the-shelf Duramax 4500, the Scorpion switches this around. Read on after the jump to learn more.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Power-Stroke 6.7L diesel V8

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Beware the Scorpion! 2011 Ford Super Duty gets all-new 6.7-liter diesel V8

Beware the Scorpion! 2011 Ford Super Duty gets all-new 6.7-liter diesel V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty

Dan Roth — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Truck, Ford

The Ford F-Series Super Duty just came in for a refresh last year, but the full-size heavy duty truck segment is so competitive that work never really stops in the pickup studio. The brawny Blue Oval workhorse will get rhinoplasty for 2011, and like the current models, its new styling takes inspiration from a concept vehicle.

Ford designers have taken the SuperChief concept from 2006 as their muse, as it lends its likeness for the Super Duty's grille treatment. The cooling needs of an actual working truck, however, require larger spacing between the grille's chrome bars. There are two bars clearly visible behind the camo, and a third is likely just below the mesh.

Pickuptrucks.com thinks the '11 Super Duty will be powered by the new Scorpion diesel V8 or the upcoming Boss 6.2 liter V8, rather than the current gasoline V10. Manual transmissions are also on the way out. Even with grim forecasts, it would be suicide for Ford to dally on truck development. Besides, what are all those shovel-ready stimulus projects going to need? Trucks, so the new Super Duty might be very well timed, indeed.

[Source Pickuptrucks.com]

Spy Shots: 2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Ford may drop manual from Super Duty lineup

Dan Roth — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Ford, Rumormill

It's an unconfirmed rumor that Ford's going to make its Super Duty pickups shiftless, but the mere whiff of a reduction in choices is likely set enthusiasts afire with rage. The merits of standard versus automatic transmissions in trucks that routinely tow and generally work hard is a debate for another time, but the real crux of the biscuit comes down to cost. As it stands now, you can get a Power Stroke diesel with a manual for $1500 less than a self-shifter. If Ford removes the standard transmission from its Power Stroke offerings, does that mean that it will pass some of the savings on to consumers by reducing the price of the automatic? Not bloody likely. A more probable scenario would see the price of the Power Stroke option rising.

[Source: Four Wheeler]

Rumormill: Ford may drop manual from Super Duty lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford makes mid-year Super Duty changes to improve fuel economy

John Neff — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Green, Ford

Rather than wait for the 2009 model year to roll around, Ford has decided to introduce two new fuel saving changes to the 2008.5 Super Duty that should improve fuel economy for the big trucks by about 1.5 mpg. That may not sound like much, but for vehicles that barely break the double-digit barrier in mpg, it's a big improvement. The changes include reducing the rear axle ratio on certain F-250 and F-350 models and extending their underbody chin spoilers by 3.93 inches. If you're a truck person, you're no doubt wondering how Ford will maintain the maximum tow rating for these trucks while reducing their rear axle ratios. With big trucks, a higher rear axle ratio means more towing capacity, while a lower rear axle ratio provides better fuel economy. In this case, Ford says that these Super Duty trucks will still be able to tow the same amount of weight as before, though our friends at Pickuptruck.com suspect that 0 to 60 performance and acceleration in general, especially while towing, will drop. Click here to view the specific changes for each iteration of the Super Duty that's affected.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

Gallery: 2008 Ford Super-Duty

Ford makes mid-year Super Duty changes to improve fuel economy originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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