Change is something that auto critics and driver are not accustomed to. Well, they will be getting a heaping new change with the design of the new Ford F-150. Since the F-150 debuted in 1948 it has come in all steel frame and body. With added pressure on auto companies by the public, (and president) to raise Mile Per Gallon Car efficiency, Ford will have to switch to aluminum to make the car more lightweight.
This change will cut out about 700 pounds from the "curb weight". This will greatly increase the gas mileage for a truck that is notoriously known for burning oil. The new Truck will cut about 15% off its total weight, which will guide it towards its goals of fuel efficiency.
Some see Ford F-150 sales declining and think, why the trouble? Well the Ford Truck constitutes 28% of Fords Total Sales, so the truck going on the diet will help the company with its bread and butter.
Below is a quote from The Washington Post-
The thirteenth generation of the F-150 is due in 2014, and with a typical seven to ten year production cycle, will have to carryFord through CAFE requirements up to and perhaps beyond 2020. Accordingly, it's being designed to meet the 2020 targets from the outset, reports the Wall Street Journal, which translates to a gain of about 25 percent in gas mileage over the current F-150.
Though the Aluminum will be helping Ford save on MPG efficiency, their exists numerous other road blocks. Aluminum could prove to be expensive for production, durability, and the most important of all public perception. If Ford Truck drivers want American power and strength behind their new truck, they may not find it with this aluminum wrapped one. The public may figure that the cars will eb less safe without a steel body. All of these facts will unravel as Ford gets set to release its 2014 F-150. Stay Tuned.....
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