Ford Strikes Back

From Torque News this week news and rumors have spread that Ford has a bold response to the growing popularity of Dodge's Ram 1500 EcoDiesel:

Back in 2008, I spoke with a local Ford Motor Company employee who obviously wished to remain unnamed, who was telling me about a pair of interesting engine projects going on behind closed doors at Ford. He told me about a light duty diesel engine and – get this – a twin turbo V6 that was being designed to be a premium engine. A twin turbo gas powered V6 seems incredible at the time, but the EcoBoost has become the most popular F-150 engine. However, the decline of gas prices and the relatively high prices of diesel fuel in 2008-2010 allegedly caused Ford to put the light duty diesel engine on the back burner.

Rumor has it that with the growth of light duty diesel engines in America, Ford is back to work on a diesel engine option for the F-150. Needless to say, that would allow Ford to take a real shot at the Ram EcoDiesel.

While the rumor is a surprise, it's not too inconceivable and is very believable. This last quarter Ram has stolen a lot of attention with their EcoDiesel, being named Truck of the Year by various organizations. As Ram continues to turn heads and sweep awards, an answer from Ford was expected ... especially considering the F-150 was named the Official Vehicle of the 2015 International CES.

The other rumor about the F-150 is that they might be developing the F-150 not with a diesel engine, but with a hybrid engine. With the attention and praise that the Ram EcoDiesel has snared, it would seem that a hybrid engine would be a step in the wrong direction for the F-150, Ford Motor Company, the light truck industry, and most importantly, the consumers looking for performance options for smaller, emerging light trucks. 

Ultimately, this is a win for people looking to get into diesel trucks and vehicles. With expanded options of selection, more people will be attracted to our industry and incorporate into our community. At a time when some people have tarnished the diesel reputation, now is the time to embrace new diesel truck owners as our own.