Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Dominant 2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke diesel scores 30 mpg EPA highway rating

By

Ford’s F series diesel engine hit the company’s fuel economy target. The 2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke diesel scored a 30 mpg highway EPA rating, Ford Motor Company (FMC) announced today.

The best-selling truck (or car) in the United States for many years running, the 2018 Ford F-150 can now claim the highest EPA-estimated highway fuel rating bragging rights for a full-sized pickup truck.

Recommended Videos

Ford revealed the 30 mpg highway target earlier this year. At the same time, FMC proudly claimed the 2018 F-150’s 3.0-liter Power Stroke V6 turbodiesel engine in the F-150 would have bragging rights for best-in-class 250 diesel horsepower, 440 pound-feet of torque, 11,400-pound towing capacity, and 2,020 payload capacity.

Related

The EPA estimates diesel-powered 2018 Ford F-150s with rear-wheel-drive will achieve 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined, according to Ford. Four-wheel drive diesel 2018 F-150’s have EPA-estimated ratings of 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined, according to The Car Connection.

Ford is pumped about hitting its EPA highway mileage target.

“Even a few years ago, customers wouldn’t have imagined an EPA-estimated rating of 30 mpg highway would be possible in a full-size pickup, but our team of crazy-smart engineers rose to the challenge,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford executive vice president of product development and purchasing.

The 2018 F-150 with the Power Stroke V6 also scores best-in-class 11,400 pounds diesel towing power. The 2,020-pound highest diesel payload capacity is for fleet ordered F-150 XL and XLT configurations. Retail market diesel trucks have a 1,940-pound payload.

General Motors (GM) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) aren’t sitting back while Ford adds a diesel option to its medium-duty pickups. The manufacturers of the respectively and perennial second- and third-best-selling Chevy Silverado and RAM pickup trucks in the U.S. announced new pickup powertrains in January. The 2019 RAM and 2019 Silverado pickups have yet to be reviewed or EPA-rated.

The 2019 RAM 1500‘s carryover 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 adds eTorque, a 48-volt mild hybrid. The eTorque system will provide a small power boost, power electrical accessories, and bump up the engine’s start-stop system. The 2019 RAM 1500 Build & Price website does not currently list a diesel engine option.

Chevy is going after the diesel market with a 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline-six for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, but no specs are available. GM Authority reported power and torque ratings for 2019 Silverado 5.3L and 6.2L V8 engines based on order guides the blog’s writers uncovered. The 3.0L Duramax diesel mill was not included in the order guides, which were dated April 20, 2018, according to GM Authority.

Power for towing and payload are the strongest draws for diesel truck buyers. High fuel economy, historically the most compelling factor for diesel car owners, hasn’t been as big a pull for truck owners. Now, however, customers shopping for full-sized pickup trucks with the most grunt can seemingly have it all and add fuel-economy to their list of check-off boxes.

But diesel-powered F-150s will require extra coin.

Fans awaiting the Power Stroke V6 option for the 2018 Ford F-150 can expect to pay up to $4,000 extra for a truck with the diesel powerplant, the Car Connection reports. Dealers started taking orders in January for delivery starting in May.

Updated on April 22: Included additional information about 2019 Chevy Silverado and 2019 RAM 1500 engines.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Contributing Editor
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
Ram 1500 TRX vs. Ford F-150 Raptor
ram trx vs ford f 150 raptor 2021 launch edition jpg image 2880

Trucks are big, powerful, and capable. But the Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor are bigger, more powerful, and more capable. These aren't normal trucks. When Ram revealed the insane off-road-specced 1500 TRX, comparing it Ford's Raptor was an easy given. The F-150 Raptor has been the champion of full-size off-road trucks since its release for the 2010 model year. Ram wants that title and is using 702 horsepower to claim it. But power isn't everything for these types of trucks; they have to crawl through rocks, jump sand dunes, traverse mud pits, creep through high water, and plow through snowbanks. It takes a lot of engineering to make a 3-ton truck do that. Below, we compare both crazy trucks. Is the TRX the new champ? Decide for yourself.
Power, acceleration, and towing
Ford F-150 Raptor

Ford’s Raptor is powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine that churns out an impressive 450 hp and 510 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic backs the engine. According to Car and Driver, the big truck will hit 60mph in 5.1 seconds on its way to a quarter-mile time of 13.9 seconds at 99mph. If you have towing or hauling duties, the Raptor can tow up to 8,000 pounds and has a payload capacity of up to 1,200 pounds. However, all that can soon change if the rumors of the upcoming Raptor getting the Mustang Shelby GT500’s supercharged V8 are true. 
Ram 1500 TRX

Read more
Stellantis’ 2027 Dodge Charger Daytona might feature solid-state battery tech
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan.

The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.

Read more
Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.
costco ev charging us electricera fast station 1260x945

Costco, known for its discount gas stations, has left EV drivers in need of juicing up out in the cold for the past 12 years. But that seems about to change now that the big-box retailer is putting its brand name on a DC fast-charging station in Ridgefield, Washington.
After being one of the early pioneers of EV charging in the 1990s, Costco abandoned the offering in 2012 in the U.S.
While opening just one station may seem like a timid move, the speed at which the station was installed -- just seven weeks -- could indicate big plans going forward.
Besides lightening-speed installation, Electric Era, the Seattle-based company making and installing the charging station, promises to offer “hyper-reliable, battery-backed fast charging technology in grid-constrained locations.”
Its stalls can deliver up to 200 kilowatts and come with built-in battery storage, allowing for lower electricity rates and the ability to remain operational even when power grids go down.
If that sounds like it could very well rival Tesla’s SuperCharger network, it’s no coincidence: Quincy Lee, its CEO, is a former SpaceX engineer.
Costco also seems confident enough in the company to have put its brand name on the EV-charging station. Last year, the wholesaler did open a pilot station in Denver, this time partnering with Electrify America, the largest charging network in the U.S. However, Costco did not put its brand name on it.
In an interview with Green Car Reports, Electric Era said it was still in talks with Costco about the opening of new locations. Last year, Costco said it was planning to install fast chargers at 20 locations, without providing further details. It has maintained EV-charging operations in Canada, the UK, Spain, and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the wholesaler’s U.S. EV-charging plans might very well resemble those of rival Walmart, which last year announced it was building its own EV fast-charging network in addition to the arrangements it already had with Electrify America.

Read more