Groover wrote:
"The F150 PowerBoost benefits are really limited to city driving and there's really no advantage with towing IMO."
I would love to see a test or at least an interview with a Ford engineer that informs us as to what the hybrid system actually does when towing. I know that when towing with my Tesla I still get all of the benefits of regeneration when towing. Surely Ford gets some.
"I also don't understand the logic for two engines that are so close in rating. If I were guessing, I'd say that maybe the 6.8 is built to accommodate some sort of hybrid upgrade and the 7.3 is not."
I have seen reports that the 7.3 is getting more power and torque so there will be more difference between the two motors.
"While a modest turbo on either (assuming the block was built for it), would be great."
You can get superchargers already for the 7.3 taking it past 700hp and they seem to be reliable. There are several videos on YouTube about them. As with any motor, hp takes fuel. Fuel economy only goes down the tubes if you use that hp but the tests seem to indicate that it isn't too bad.
A Plug-In-Hybrid in the 5.0-6.0L range would make a lot of sense in a super duty. While it may be geared towards the round town driver similar to the 1/2 ton. It would be pretty simple to have a towing mode.
- Yeah, when running around town, it could use most or all battery power, then have the motor kick in. So for a local work truck, it could probably eliminate 70-90% of gas consumption (assuming you plug it in at night).
- A simple solution for towing: When the tow/haul mode is activated, it could reserve the battery power for heavy power demand situations (like climbing a grade). On level ground, a truck may only be putting out 150hp to maintain highway speeds pulling 7-10k trailer. So even a 5.0L could handle that. But when you reach a steep grade and throttle exceeds a certain level, a 100hp electric motor with 300ft-lb of torque could kick in to supplement giving you power similar to the 7.3L. Something like a 25kwh battery bank could feed 100hp for 20 minutes which would cover most mountain climbs. Assuming it can do regeneration, it could refill the battery bank on the downhill.
- A more refine solution could integrate the GPS routing. The system could look at the route and with a bit of logic, maximize the use of battery power use and regeneration. If there is a big climb coming up, it may save most of the battery for the climb but if you just finished a big descent & have a full battery bank and it's only 20min flatland run to the destination, it may use lots of battery power to reduce the load on the gas engine. (This is just a simple example.) You could also provide an input for the driver to say if they will be charging at the end of the run or if they want to reserve X% in the battery bank as they won't be charging.
You've always been able to do after market turbo/super chargers on engines but Ford's warranty department is likely tell you to pound sand for any issues if they can remotely blame it on you adding a turbo. The question is would Ford do a factory original turbo. It's certainly technologically feasible but more of a marketing strategy issue. 99% of people won't add an aftermarket unit. A factory original 700hp gas engine that is reliable could lure a lot of people away from the diesel.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV
