Nuked The new F-150 will have an optional hands-free driving mode and be capable of receiving over-the-air software updates. The company will also start selling a hybrid version of the 2021 F-150 that can travel about 700 miles on a full tank of gas.
The F-150 is one of the only vehicles in the US that has hands-free driving when the feature is available next year. Customers will have to buy a specific hardware package that enables the feature, which will include a driver monitoring system that uses a driver-facing infrared camera to make sure they’re watching the road.
The new F-150 will still offer the rest of the features that make up Ford’s co-pilot360 driver assistance system. Some will come standard, like automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection. Others will cost extra, like adaptive cruise control, lane centering, post-collision braking, trailer backup assist, and more.
Both will run sync 4, the newest version of Ford’s infotainment system. The new F-150 will come with a 12-inch landscape touchscreen. Smaller versions of the truck will have an eight-inch screen.
Ford says the updates are’bumper-to-bumper’. They can support preventative maintenance, reduce repair trips, provide improved performance and result in more vehicle up-time’.
Ford is working on an all-electric version of the F-150 due out in 2022. But in the meantime it’s now going to offer a hybrid version. The F-150 follows in the footsteps of General Motors and Fiat Chrysler.
A 35kw (47 horsepower) electric motor will pull power from a 1.5kwh battery pack. The truck will get around 700 miles on a 30.6-gallon tank of gas, roughly 23 miles per gallon.
The hybrid F-150 will be sold in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions. The onboard battery will be recharged by the energy created when the truck uses the electric motor to help brake.
