Could Ford be working on a Super Duty pickup truck with an electric powertrain that has a 5.0L V8 range extender? We have an anonymous insider source telling us that a Ford Super Duty EREV (Extended Ranger Electric Vehicle) with a Coyote gas-powered V8 is currently under consideration and it’s undergoing initial development and testing. This is unofficial. Ford has not confirmed or denied this. As with most manufacturers, Ford does not comment on future products until it’s ready for the world to see and buy.
Valid or Feasible?
Is there any validity to this unofficial information? Yes, something like this makes a lot sense.
We see an EREV Super Duty as an addition to the F-250 / F-350 / F-Series lineup. We do not see it replacing traditional gas V8 or turbo-diesel V8 trucks during this decade or anytime soon. It can offer private customers and commercial fleet operators another choice of powertrain.
Ford’s CEO – Jim Farley – said this on record “EREVs in the U.S. could be 120 miles of all-electric, and they drive like EVs,” Farley said. “They don’t drive like combustion engine vehicles, so you get an EV, and you have 700 miles of range. You don’t have range anxiety for a long trip. You don’t have to rely on any chargers. And those vehicles have half the batteries, so they’re very profitable.” – Detroit News
We expect the Super Duty EREV to be produced in Oakville Ontario Canada factory complex (near Toronto). This facility is expected to be operational in 2026. It means, this type of truck could be a 2026 or 2027 model that is available for sale within the next two years.
Capability?
A Ford Super Duty of any kind must be focused on productivity, payload, and towing capacity. Changing its powertrain should not decrease its capability. How can you do it with high-voltage batteries, electric motors, and a range-extender?
Let’s make an educated guess since we do not have any official specs. Jim Farley said “could be 120 miles of all-electric”. Let’s assume he is talking about a Super Duty. Let’s assume a Super Duty EREV has an average efficiency of 1.5 mi/kWh. It means it could have a 80 kWh battery or similar. It drives like an EV, but it has a large gasoline tank and a V8 engine that works like a generator. CEO said “you have 700 miles of range.” It means it may have something like a 36-gallon gasoline tank or larger in order to get 700 miles of total driving range when unladen.
Since it has a smallish V8, a relatively small battery, and an all-aluminum body & bed construction – the Super Duty EREV may offer a similar payload that is currently found in a F-250 or a F-350 with an H.O. Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8. Let’s say 3,000 – 4,000 lbs of payload is possible. If this is the case, then it could a maximum trailer towing ability between 20,000 – 23,000 lbs.
This is why we think that it will not replace turbo-diesel V8 F-350 dually or a F-450 dually trucks. These will still be kings of total payload or towing capacities (at least for the foreseeable future).
Please understand that all numbers you see here are my educated guesses based on 12 years of testing new pickup trucks in a variety of real-world conditions. These are NOT specifications provided by the insider source or Ford.
By the way, a Super Duty EREV may offer 7.2 kW, 9.6 kW or more of export power at 120 volts or 240 volts. This is an additional capability that the current Super Duty does not offer. The current Super Duty pickup trucks offer up to 2.0 kW of export power at 120 volts (that’s it).
Why a 5.0L V8 Range Extender?
Why use a 5.0L gasoline V8 as a generator for a Super Duty EREV?
It makes some sense because such a generator needs to be large enough to provide enough electricity to the battery and the electric motors under heavy load. Our insider source says that Ford is currently struggling with having enough energy while pulling a maximum load up a long grade with such a setup. This issue may be resolved by adding a special tow/haul mode that kick the generator on while the battery still has 30% or 40% battery while towing. If the generator is kicked on early enough – it may offer the battery enough backup to finish climbing the mountain with sufficient power.
If your generator is smaller, then it will have more problems with providing the juice. If you select a large turbo-diesel engine as your generator, then you will need DEF and DPF system for the diesel engine. This adds even more complexity and cost.
We will have to wait and see how this plays out in the future.
Price?
How much would a Super Duty EREV cost? This is a tough one. Ford may surprise everybody with a relatively affordable price. They may never offer a Super Duty EREV. They could price it equivalent to a comparable Super Duty with an H.O. Power Stroke V8 diesel. If a Ford F-250 crew cab 4×4 Lariat costs around $80,000 with a high-output diesel, I would hope that a F-250 crew cab EREV 4×4 Lariat would cost about the same.
What do you think? Would you buy a Super Duty EREV with a 5.0L V8 generator? Let us know in the comments below.
