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66F100Again

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F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Tech with Onboard Scales to Simplify Loading and Trailering, Active Suspension for Greater Confidence

Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_03

  • This summer, the all-new 2021 Ford F-150 will debut available Onboard Scales which estimate cargo weight in real time and indicate capacity three different ways
  • Class-exclusive available Smart Hitch measures tongue weight to help customers properly hitch up and reduce the possibility of trailer sway when towing
  • Available continuously controlled damping improves ride and handling on- and off-road, especially in towing situations and also provide pothole mitigation technology
DEARBORN, Mich., April 28, 2021 – Ford is giving customers all-new capabilities to help them get work done. New technologies will now be available for the 2021 Ford F-150 including class-exclusive Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch as well as continuously controlled damping, each engineered to help customers who tow and haul load their trucks up for the work they’re designed to do while also adding on-road confidence.

“We’re constantly working to deliver a continuous history of capable, strong and smart trucks designed to make the F-150 customer even more productive,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager, “This summer we’re delivering three new features all about enhancing the F-150 customer experience while delivering even greater confidence when towing and hauling.”

Class-exclusive built-in payload estimation

Customers can now gauge how much they’re hauling. New available Onboard Scales measure and display the approximate weight of the payload in the truck. Load information is displayed in the center touch screen with a graphic representation of the truck, on a mobile phone through the FordPass app or in graphics within the truck’s smart taillamps.

Smart taillamps operate like the battery charge indicator on a mobile phone, displaying the percentage of payload capacity by illuminating LEDs arranged in a built-in vertical bar. As the truck is loaded, all four lights illuminate, showing it’s fully loaded. If the truck is overloaded, the top lights blink. The maximum payload based on the pickup’s configuration is programmed into the system. Additionally, the truck can be set on scale mode, which zeroes out the current load and allows for approximate weighing of additional items loaded into the bed.

Load trailers easily

Class-exclusive Smart Hitch is designed to help customers easily load trailers and better practice safe towing. Smart Hitch measures the tongue weight of a trailer being connected, to help the customer distribute trailer weight correctly.

After the trailer is set up in the center touch screen, Smart Hitch calculates its tongue weight and provides guidance on weight distribution or hitch overloading on the screen, on the FordPass™ app or within the smart taillamps. The truck also will indicate if the hitch weight is too high or low and can even guide owners through properly tensioning a weight redistributing hitch.

Comfort and control with a smarter suspension

The all-new 2021 F-150 offers available continuously controlled damping for enhanced ride and handling characteristics, especially when towing or hauling heavy loads. A computer within the F-150 analyzes multiple signals collected from high-resolution sensors – adjusting vehicle response to each situation by controlling valves in the shocks.

Damping force is used to control unwanted motions such as bounce, pitch and roll reducing the severity the truck – and its passengers – will feel from traveling through the pothole. When the edge of a pothole is detected, the dampers firm up, preventing the tires from dropping as deep into the hole. Tuning can be adjusted by selecting any of the available drive modes.

In Tow/Haul mode, continuously controlled damping is specifically tuned to provide a smooth and confident driving experience, easing truck and trailer responses to road conditions while providing connected, precise, and linear steering despite a heavy trailer or load, helping reduce stress on the driver while towing.

Available Onboard Scales, Smart Hitch, and Continuously Controlled Damping can be ordered in early June, with deliveries beginning in late summer. They add to the catalog of available technology for F-150 like PowerBoost™ full-hybrid powertrain, Pro Power Onboard™, Trailer Reverse Guidance and Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Active Park Assist 2.0, and Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection.


Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_03
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_01
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_02
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_03



TAIL LIGHT INDICATORS

Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_TailLightindicators_01
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_TailLightindicators_02
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_TailLightindicators_03
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_TailLightindicators_04
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features 2021-FordF-150_TailLightindicators_05



ONBOARD SCALES

Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_01
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_02
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_ScaleMode
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_VehicleMode
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_ExceedingMaximumPayload
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_screens_01
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_screens_02
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_screens_03
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_screens_04
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_screens_05
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_screens_06
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features OnboardScales_FordPass_screens_07




SMART HITCH

Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features SmartHitch_01
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features SmartHitch_02
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features SmartHitch_FordPass_01
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features SmartHitch_FordPass_02
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features SmartHitch_FordPass_03
Ford F-150 F-150 Adds Class-Exclusive Payload Estimation, Trailer Towing and Smart Suspension Damping Features SmartHitch_FordPass_04
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KBKEITH

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Great idea. Just another thing that needs semiconductor chips, though.
 

Chasinsparks

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Will this be made available in the existing 2021 F150s? The news release from Ford is given below:

https://media.ford.com/content/ford...ve-tech-with-onboard-scales-to-simplify-.html

Unfortunately for those who already took ownership of a 2021 F-150, the Onboard Scales, Smart Hitch and Continuously Controlled Damping cannot be installed at a dealer. According to Ford, they require special hardware that can’t be dealer installed and therefore are not able to be added retroactively.
 

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Ford4Ever

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Ford4Ever

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Unfortunately for those who already took ownership of a 2021 F-150, the Onboard Scales, Smart Hitch and Continuously Controlled Damping cannot be installed at a dealer. According to Ford, they require special hardware that can’t be dealer installed and therefore are not able to be added retroactively.
Don't you just love how they make really useful changes during mid cycle production?
 

Ford4Ever

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I think last date to place a 2021 order is May or June
Just going by the new order guide:

JOB 2 ORDER GUIDE UPDATES – Effective on all vehicles built on or after Job #2 (07/06/21)
● Added: Continuously Controlled Damping (61D)
● Added: Onboard Scale w/ Smart Hitch (55S)
 

LoneStar

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WTF Ford! After torturing your most loyal and devoted (wannabe) owners with the covid and chip-shortage induced delays, you turn around and back-stab us with a highly desirable capability that cannot be added to a prior purchased 2021 truck.

:mad:
 

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jcaspar

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Very cool. Way to keep Ford the tech leader in trucks. Going very Tesla with mid year updates.
 

dog_tired

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Guess I'm going to have to adopt @currybob M/O and get a new F150 every few years to take advantage of these desirable options.
Wife is going to hate Ford for this!
 

LoneStar

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Guess I'll be walking away from my custom-ordered F-150 getting built this week. I told the dealership sales mgr that I might not take the truck when setting up the order in the first place.

Now I will wait until June and start the process all over again. Main reason is that this is my first truck (other than a 80's Datsun small cab) and I've never towed in my life. I want this truck for my retirement that begins in 5 yrs. Planning to tow a med. "adventure" trailer and discover this beautiful country of ours.

Having this automated towing setup technology seems ideally suited for a rookie like me.
 

Merccat

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I wonder if this is going to be included in any of the tow packages. I ordered a Lariat plus the standard tow package plus the tow tech package. My dealer said I am scheduled to be built around July 7th which is when they are planning to start building trucks with these features. It will be interesting to see what I end up with.

As neat as it all sounds though, I’ve towed enough that it also wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for me and I would not be willing to pay (much) more for it.
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