A hybrid engine is likely to be built into the new Ford Super Duty pickup trucks. Ford has officially said that its next heavy-duty cars will have “multi-energy technology,” which means a hybrid system. Industry leaders and aficionados are optimistic about Ford’s 100,000 Super Duty vehicles in Oakville, Ontario. The next F-series Super Duty pickup trucks from Ford will have electric help, the company said on Monday. It’s been almost forty years since the F-series full-size pickup truck became the most popular car in the United States. Because of high demand, Ford plans to move production of the Super Duty to the Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada, beginning in 2026. In the production statement, Ford made a hint that the 2018 Super Duty pickups might have a hybrid powertrain. The announcement from Ford wasn’t very clear, but it did say that the expansion “paves the way to bring multi-energy technology to the next generation of Super Duty trucks.” EVs aren’t as good as gas trucks at moving and carrying things yet, but the Super Duty will not become fully electric any time soon. However, a hybrid engine makes a lot of sense, especially since the smaller F-150 is so popular with them. There is currently a hybrid version of the F-150 that has an electric motor between the transmission and the twin-turbo V-6 engine. At the moment, the Super Duty has a 6.7-liter diesel engine, as well as two gas-fed V-8 engines (6.8-liter and 7.3-liter capacities). It is still being determined which engine the new model will combine with the diesel engine. Ford says that at first, the Oakville Assembly Complex, which will now make heavy-duty trucks and is the third plant to make the Super Duty, would be able to accommodate an extra 100,000 trucks. The V-8 engine for the Super Duty is made at the Windsor Engine Complex in Ontario, which employs 150 people. The plans call for the creation of 1800 more jobs in Oakville. Ford says that the Ohio Assembly Plant and the Kentucky Truck Plant, which are also Super Duty plants, are already full. The total cost of the increase will be $3 billion. Ford said in the same event that it “remains committed to developing a growing and profitable electric vehicle business,” with a focus on electric SUVs with three rows of seats. Ford had planned to release a three-row EV in 2025. It would have been the electric version of the famous Explorer. Ford said earlier this year that it would delay the release of the electric SUV until 2027 so that better battery technologies could be made. The three-row electric car will also be made at the Oakville plant.
