Plug-in Powerboost

[HCFX]

Who else thinks this would be the perfect bridge gap between ICE and EV?

I do 100% city driving daily and pull a TT on weekends. It’ll be a long time before the Lightning would work for my lifestyle without being a massive inconvenience, and judging by the discussions of range anxiety it won’t work for a lot of people quite yet. Powerboost is the ideal engine choice for me and many others, but the Powerboost just gets better mileage around town than a regular Ecoboost. It can’t be run on full EV.

PHEV vehicles all have the ability to be run on full EV mode until the battery depletes and then has a gas engine as backup. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to have our trucks run on full EV all week without using a drop of fuel, but be able to pull a trailer into the bush on weekends or cover a lot of highway without needing a charge? Would it make the Lightning or the Powerboost seem irrelevant? I think this sort of powertrain would have a strong take rate.

thoughts?

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[FrankThompson]

I would love this option, but they would need to make the battery bigger to make it worth it. Remember this is a "powerboost", this is not meant to be a traditional hybrid. They Hybrids main purpose is to add power and torque when you need it. The other benefits are just extras you get from the hybrid drivetrain. Because of this I feel they sized the battery accordingly and it's relatively small compared to other hybrids (1.5kwh vs 30ish kwhs of some plugins)

I think there is room for something in between the Powerboost and the lightning, but I doubt that Ford will put any energy into it.

I really really hope they prove me wrong because I would be first in line to trade in my current PB for one.

 

[HCFX]

I would love this option, but they would need to make the battery bigger to make it worth it. Remember this is a "powerboost", this is not meant to be a traditional hybrid. They Hybrids main purpose is to add power and torque when you need it. The other benefits are just extras you get from the hybrid drivetrain. Because of this I feel they sized the battery accordingly and it's relatively small compared to other hybrids (1.5kwh vs 30ish kwhs of some plugins)

I think there is room for something in between the Powerboost and the lightning, but I doubt that Ford will put any energy into it.

I really really hope they prove me wrong because I would be first in line to trade in my current PB for one.

Yes, it would absolutely need to have a larger battery to be viable. Years Ago I had a Fusion Energi as a company car and it was absolutely awesome. Drive to the office and back all week without using a drop of fuel but I could also charge it up overnight and drive it 600 miles on the weekend without stopping for charging or fuel.

 

[Bluesman]

Could be worse, you could be a GM guy with no choices in the near future but EV.. Think it's hard to get an F150 now? Just wait..

 

[KDPGame02]

Yes, I'd trade in my PB for a PHEV, too. Battery technology has come a long way in the last 10 years, and hope to see additional advancements that might allow packing more kwH into a smaller package. Maybe they could downsize the fuel tank and install a larger battery. With that said I do love the 30.6 gallons for it's range especially towing.

 

[Snakebitten]

If Ford offered the Powerboost in F150 HDPP chassis, (they don't argggghh) they could increase the battery size significantly and still have room for a healthy 1/2 ton Payload capacity.
It would absolutely be a Lightning killer though. Think about it.

Don't get me wrong...... I would absolutely own one and it WOULD be the most amazing and versatile 1/2 ton in all the land. Can you imagine running in EV mode 3 or 4x's the percentage of the current Powerboost? Having 2000lbs of Cargo Capacity? And of course you have to have the 6.5' bed for HDPP chassis, so all the advantages of that when it comes to a towing platform.

What's so torturing to ponder is that it still wouldn't take a huge battery. Look what has been accomplished with that teeny tiny battery in the Powerboost. It's remarkably small. Isn't it 1.3 kw, or something like that?
So just give it a 10KW battery. Still 1/10th the Standard Lightning. Yet it could deliver that increase in EV mileage percentage by 3 or 4 fold.

Oh how I want one. A Powerboost almost exactly like the one I have except getting 35mpg or more.

 

[HCFX]

If Ford offered the Powerboost in F150 HDPP chassis, (they don't argggghh) they could increase the battery size significantly and still have room for a healthy 1/2 ton Payload capacity.
It would absolutely be a Lightning killer though. Think about it.

Don't get me wrong...... I would absolutely own one and it WOULD be the most amazing and versatile 1/2 ton in all the land. Can you imagine running in EV mode 3 or 4x's the percentage of the current Powerboost? Having 2000lbs of Cargo Capacity? And of course you have to have the 6.5' bed for HDPP chassis, so all the advantages of that when it comes to a towing platform.

What's so torturing to ponder is that it still wouldn't take a huge battery. Look what has been accomplished with that teeny tiny battery in the Powerboost. It's remarkably small. Isn't it 1.3 kw, or something like that?
So just give it a 10KW battery. Still 1/10th the Standard Lightning. Yet it could deliver that increase in EV mileage percentage by 3 or 4 fold.

Oh how I want one. A Powerboost almost exactly like the one I have except getting 35mpg or more.

When I net out the zero gas usage during the week, and then 20mpg unloaded on weekends and 8mpg from the Ecoboost towing a trailer it really would wash out around 30mpg net in the run of a month for me.

Currently having one diesel car that gets 35mpg city/50mpg highway and a diesel truck that gets 15 city/20 highway/10 loaded I could turn two vehicles into one.

 

[UGADawg96]

If Ford offered the Powerboost in F150 HDPP chassis, (they don't argggghh) they could increase the battery size significantly and still have room for a healthy 1/2 ton Payload capacity.
It would absolutely be a Lightning killer though. Think about it.

Don't get me wrong...... I would absolutely own one and it WOULD be the most amazing and versatile 1/2 ton in all the land. Can you imagine running in EV mode 3 or 4x's the percentage of the current Powerboost? Having 2000lbs of Cargo Capacity? And of course you have to have the 6.5' bed for HDPP chassis, so all the advantages of that when it comes to a towing platform.

What's so torturing to ponder is that it still wouldn't take a huge battery. Look what has been accomplished with that teeny tiny battery in the Powerboost. It's remarkably small. Isn't it 1.3 kw, or something like that?
So just give it a 10KW battery. Still 1/10th the Standard Lightning. Yet it could deliver that increase in EV mileage percentage by 3 or 4 fold.

Oh how I want one. A Powerboost almost exactly like the one I have except getting 35mpg or more.

 

[UGADawg96]

That's why I'm looking at the newer Volvo XC60 and XC90 plug in hybrids to replace our Outback in the next couple years. Go up to 35miles on electric, but have the gas engine for road trips without having to worry about charging. Would be awesome if the PB had similar tech. I would upgrade immediately.

 

[ColoradoHunter]

First off let me say I am thrilled with the increased MPG I'm getting with my PB. I also hope that down the road bigger batteries become available. BUT! A bigger battery alone will not give a huge increase. They would also have to increase the HP of the electric motor. It is only a 47 HP Motor. The electric mode requires that the battery have a high enough charge and the electric motor have sufficient power to handle the load required. I think mileage would go up with a bigger battery but not as much as some people think.

I drive a lot of rolling hills. Many times just cruising along at moderate speeds my powerboost will kick into electric as it hits a downhill and kick right back to ICE a couple seconds later as the next uphill starts. This has nothing to do with the battery charge, everything to do with the motor not producing enough power to get up the hill with out the ICE. It still gives an assist to the ICE but isn't a big boost to MPG.

I'm not an engineer but put a 150HP motor, 40-50 KW battery and a plug in and people who actually use their truck as a truck would be thrilled.

 

[Itsjustmd]

I would buy one in a heartbeat. I was telling my brother that I wish my Powerboost had a bigger battery or even better a PHEV version. Full EV for a truck wouldn't work for me.

 

[Snakebitten]

First off let me say I am thrilled with the increased MPG I'm getting with my PB. I also hope that down the road bigger batteries become available. BUT! A bigger battery alone will not give a huge increase. They would also have to increase the HP of the electric motor. It is only a 47 HP Motor. The electric mode requires that the battery have a high enough charge and the electric motor have sufficient power to handle the load required. I think mileage would go up with a bigger battery but not as much as some people think.

I drive a lot of rolling hills. Many times just cruising along at moderate speeds my powerboost will kick into electric as it hits a downhill and kick right back to ICE a couple seconds later as the next uphill starts. This has nothing to do with the battery charge, everything to do with the motor not producing enough power to get up the hill with out the ICE. It still gives an assist to the ICE but isn't a big boost to MPG.

I'm not an engineer but put a 150HP motor, 40-50 KW battery and a plug in and people who actually use their truck as a truck would be thrilled.

I'm a flatlander and when I'm running along on cruise control and the truck goes into EV mode, the amount of time it spends in EV mode is determined by how long it takes for the electric motor to draw the battery down to the SOC that Ford chooses not to go below.
So for discussions sake, let's say it ran in EV mode for 45 seconds.
Then if the battery was a 3KW battery, the truck would have stayed in EV mode for twice as long before reaching that same SOC.
At 6 KW battery, still tiny by Hybrid standards, it might cruise for 3 minutes straight in EV mode.

So in those kind of circumstances a bigger, but still small battery could have a HUGE impact on fuel mileage. Without changing anything else.

Obviously I am describing static load driving. "Cruising" at a speed that the existing motor is capable of sustaining.

 

[ColoradoHunter]

I'm a flatlander and when I'm running along on cruise control and the truck goes into EV mode, the amount of time it spends in EV mode is determined by how long it takes for the electric motor to draw the battery down to the SOC that Ford chooses not to go below.
So for discussions sake, let's say it ran in EV mode for 45 seconds.
Then if the battery was a 3KW battery, the truck would have stayed in EV mode for twice as long before reaching that same SOC.
At 6 KW battery, still tiny by Hybrid standards, it might cruise for 3 minutes straight in EV mode.

So in those kind of circumstances a bigger, but still small battery could have a HUGE impact on fuel mileage. Without changing anything else.

Obviously I am describing static load driving. "Cruising" at a speed that the existing motor is capable of sustaining.

Under the right conditions I agree that the gain could be pretty great from just a bigger battery. I just don't think those are the average conditions most of us drive in. Would just a bigger battery get gains in MPG? Yes it would, I just don't think it would be as great for most people as this thread presumes without also adding a higher HP motor.

 

[SteveP150]

Count me among the crowd that would be made very happy with this option. Don't get me wrong, I like the power. But I'd give up a second in 0-60 time and 2000lbs of towing if it meant a bigger battery, electric motor and plug-in capability.
That said, it would definitely compete with the Lightning, so I'd be pretty surprised if Zford went that way.

 

[ColoradoHunter]

Count me among the crowd that would be made very happy with this option. Don't get me wrong, I like the power. But I'd give up a second in 0-60 time and 2000lbs of towing if it meant a bigger battery, electric motor and plug-in capability.
That said, it would definitely compete with the Lightning, so I'd be pretty surprised if Zford went that way.

I truly believe the reason we didn't get a bigger battery and e-motor was so it didn't cut into Lightning sales.

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