Will Ford Unveil a Hybrid F-150 Pickup?

Images of fuel efficiency are not often associated with pickup trucks, least of all with the king of the American pickup, the Ford F-150.

But rumors – and that's all they are – are swirling that Ford will make an announcement about a hybrid Ford F150 at the Detroit auto show, which kicks off Sunday with a session for the press.

Speculation about a hybrid gas-electric F150 are not new.

Back in July 2006, FordMuscle.com wrote about the "buzz emerging in the automotive world that Ford will launch a new hybrid version of the F150 in 2008 that will have a 400% improvement in fuel economy (to 60 mpg) over the standard gasoline F150."

Well, it's 2008. The biggest auto show of the year is here, and all auto pundits point to a very green year at this year's show. Fuel efficiency, whether automakers like it or not (most do not, if lobbyist payrolls are any measure) will be a new fact of life. Even if Congress hadn't mandated an increase to the nation's fuel efficiency, consumers, facing $100 oil and concern over global warming, were.

Here's hoping Ford builds something both tough and less terrible on fuel economy.

COMMENTS ()