The next-generation Ford F-150, which will be using an abundance of aluminum, will make its official debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, insiders close to the company revealed to Automotive News.
Not just the materials will be new however. Expected to be offered on the new F-150 is a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that should help the pickup reach close to 30 mpg on the highway.
Rumor has it that the American automaker has asked Alcoa Inc., which manufactures aluminum blast shields for military vehicles, to borrow its military-grade aluminum for Ford’s display in Detroit. Ford’s goal is to prove that aluminum is not only lightweight, but is durable and strong enough to fit the needs of Ford F-150 owners. The automaker’s goal is to shed as much as 750 lbs from the Ford F-150′s weight to help improve fuel economy and overall performance.
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Next year, the Ford F-150 will become America’s best-selling vehicle for 32 years and the prospect of an aluminum F-150 is a huge gamble for Ford. Its consumers will have to be on board with the idea that aluminum is a formidable replacement to steel and that there are no negatives to weigh against all the positives.
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[Source: Automotive News]
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