The Ford F-150 pickup truck has been an unparalleled sales success throughout the era of cheap gasoline. There are millions upon millions of F-150s on American roads. But with the days of cheap gas and chart-topping full-size pickup truck sales past us, we are left with a big question.
F-150 gas mileage figures have languished for decades. As a consequence, countless companies and individuals are burdened with trucks that have become too expensive to operate. As this cloud has settled upon the country, owners have been asking, “is there an honest-to-goodness way to dramatically increase the gas mileage of the F-150s that are prowling our streets?”
One of the answers surfaced at the Plug-In 2008 conference in San Jose, California this past week.
The folks at Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc. (HEVT) - a start-up out of the Illinois Institute of Technology - have designed a bolt-in hybrid system that pairs a hefty electric motor, batteries, electronics, and software with the stock F-150 drive train.
HEVT’s goal is to retrofit the existing fleet of F-150s.
It’s not just about the F-150s that have already found a home. The unwanted trucks currently being traded in - as well as those coming off lease - are piling up in dealer, wholesaler, and auction lots represent a positively enormous opportunity.
HEVT brought a fully operational prototype to Plug-In 2008, equipped with a 12 kWh battery pack. In this configuration, the truck promises a 15 mile pure electric range, with up to 41 MPG in 30 miles of mixed speed driving. While the numbers might seem small to some, this is an initial prototype that more that doubles the standard mileage, and a worthy real-world contender in the Automotive X-Prize competition.
As Andy Grove’s Plug-In 2008 keynote brought to light, a huge opportunity to jump start our economy awaits. The backs of the pioneers must be strong, to both carry the weight and fend off the inevitable arrows and hatchets.
The folks at HEVT aren’t just pioneers. They’re true American heroes.
7 comments ↓
I have to say that that is one of the coolest and most inspiring things I have seen in a long time. My F-150 I somehow stretch right now to 20 around the city and a few more on the highway (Makes it hard to go get my AC fixed when I get better mileage because of it). But I would sign up for this in a heart beat if it was even remotely affordable. Right now I feel stuck in between loving the utility and practicality of my truck and the steady shrinking of my wallet and impracticality of it. This “bolt-on” definitely has a bright future and could no doubt jump start Ford (and the truck market as well) within the next 5 years if the technology is where it looks like it is. But your post is absolutely right about the need for this company to be strong backed because if Ford doesn’t pick this up, they are in for an uphill battle with no end in sight. Pessimism aside, this is the first real world example of technology that I really can’t wait to experience.
I have a F-150 and an Expedition. I would be interested in learning more about this technology,
So how much would you be willing to pay for one of these kits? I would guess the price to be about $15-20k, based on most conversions cost $8000-10000 for lead acid, and lithium ion batteries for Prius around $8000-$12000 (Prius already have all the electric drive components).
So, yes you can get better mileage, but in reality 15-20k will buy a lot of gas, even at $4 a gallon. I think this as being a better option for municipalities that are looking at end-of-life replacement for existing vehicles, where the cost of the kit would outweigh the price for buying a new vehicle, the gas savings are almost secondary.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this isn’t a good idea. Just the financial side of it isn’t as great as it might look at first blush.
@Eletruk - Mass production of the technology will bring the price down considerably, but I won’t venture to guess how low it will go. If there is a disruption to the worldwide distribution of oil, these kits may be our best hope.
Government and commercial fleet conversion will be massive for both plug-in electric and natural gas kits, depending on the geographic location.
It’s well suited for retrofitting the hundreds of thousands of trucks that are landing back in the hands of the dealers and wholesalers as they come off lease or are traded in. It could easily create a dilemma for the manufacturers. A $30K 40 MPG late model retrofitted truck will be more attractive then a 15 MPG new truck for a good number of buyers.
At 20,000 miles driven per year with $4 a gallon gasoline, the savings will amount to well over $3,000 per year (minus the cost of electricity).
[…] garages to transform the biggest gas-guzzlers into plug-in hybrid electric (PHEVs) (like the HEVT F-150) or clean-diesel powered vehicles. The transition of today’s unwanted rolling stock into the […]
Mass production isn’t going to do squat to the price. Everything used in this kit is already mass produced except for putting it together. The cost of a DIY electric conversion kit (available on many sites) for any vehicle will easily cost $5000 - $20000 for a bare bones & low distance solution. Electric cars and conversion kits are super expensive. This ‘invention’ is unsurprising, of course making any car or truck a hybrid is going to increase your mileage. Making it CHEAP is the problem.
@James - I’d wager that mass production will slash the cost of the Lithium battery packs, which is the biggest single component expense.
High capacity Lithium battery packs are expensive because we haven’t but a fraction of the production capacity at present. There’s no shortage of raw materials. Once the factories are built, the prices will come down. This has happened for RAM, LCDs, Plasma, you name it …
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