First of all, I did test drive the Ford F-150! It was back in 2017. Well before Rivian came out or anything like that. As US News and Report stated:
Pros & Cons
- Top-flight safety scores
- Below-average ownership costs
- Nimbler handling than most trucks
- Above-average maximum towing capacity
- Good fuel economy
- Less-upscale cabin than rivals
New for 2017
- Raptor Trim reintroduced
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto made available
- New 10-speed automatic transmission made available
Did you know that the toughest, smartest, most capable and safest F-150 ever is also the greenest F-150 – thanks to advanced materials like high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy and EcoBoost® engine technology?
Ford recycles as much as 20 million pounds of aluminum stamping scrap per month using the closed-loop system at Dearborn Truck Plant, which builds F-150. That is the equivalent of more than 30,000 F-150 bodies in the largest configuration – a SuperCrew body including doors, plus hood, tailgate and 6.5-foot cargo box.
Opting for aluminum over steel in new automobile construction. Ford says it is the best way to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. All according to Oak Ridge National Lab.
Recycled aluminum avoids 95 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with primary aluminum production. It uses significantly less energy and water. So it’s another reason Ford F-150 leads the full-size truck pack in terms of lifetime carbon footprint. Again, all according to Automotive Science Group.
Weight savings from aluminum alloy helps F-150 reduce its lifetime emissions compared to the previous steel-body version. Between 30 percent and 40 percent of a typical aluminum coil is turned into scrap in the stamping process. This is recycled into new metal for the truck using the closed-loop system.
TEST DRIVE NEWS!!
When I test drove the F-150, it was equipped with the available 2.7-liter EcoBoost with standard Auto Start-Stop technology. The F-150 4×2 has best-in-class EPA-estimated gasoline fuel economy ratings of 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined (actual mileage will vary). However, the Green Living Guy got better than that in test drive. On the highway we got 32 miles per gallon. In the city about 23 MPG. This was also with nothing in the cab.
F-150 SuperCrew and SuperCab with available collision warning are the only trucks in their class to earn a Top Safety Pick from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. F-150 also is the only full-size, light-duty truck to earn National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s highest rating, a five-star overall vehicle score and five-star rating for driver and passenger for all crash test modes and cab configurations – SuperCrew, SuperCab and Regular Cab.
Check out Instagram.com/Ford – Earth Day – to see the closed-loop recycling process in action.
