Ford’s Super Duty line of F-Series trucks will join the automaker’s rapidly expanding portfolio of upcoming electric and plug-in hybrid offerings with a plug-in hybrid system option in early 2013. Ford is working with Azure Dynamics—the same outfit behind the Transit Connect Electric—to equip its big Super Duty rigs with plug-in tech, and the first truck so equipped will be the F-550.
If this all sounds a bit strange to you, bear in mind that the goal here isn’t to produce a credible competitor to the Chevy Volt. Vehicles like these work trucks are frequently used in low-speed, short-distance conditions, so offering some electric-only range would be a real boon to operators trying to cut their fuel bills.
Ford and Azure are offering few details regarding the plug-in system’s specs, but taking a look at another Ford/Azure collaboration, the E-450 Balance hybrid electric step van and shuttle bus, we can get an idea of how the system probably will be integrated. The E-series system retains the stock 5.4-liter V-8 engine and five-speed automatic transmission; an electric motor mounted aft of the transmission provides regenerative braking, acceleration assistance, and low-speed electric-only propulsion capabilities. An additional motor located in front of the engine handles stop/start duty and accessory drive functions when the engine is shut down.
The E-series Balance is a normal hybrid in the vein of Ford’s Fusion hybrid, and is not of the plug-in variety. Given that it can travel on electricity alone in certain driving conditions, however, it would seem that Azure would only need to add more battery capacity to enable enhanced electric-only propulsion for the Ford Super Duty trucks. The agreement between Ford and Azure Dynamics involves spreading the plug-in hybrid tech to all cab and chassis versions of the F-350 and F-450, but a set time frame for those models—not to mention an EV range or top speed—hasn’t been announced yet.
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