---
title: "Hybrid 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Targets 700-Mile Range, 12,000-Pound Tow Rating"
description: "The Pro Power Onboard generator can also supply juice for the mother of all tailgate setups, or a complete mobile workshop."
date: "2020-06-25"
modified: "2020-06-25"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/34345/hybrid-2021-ford-f-150-powerboost-targets-700-mile-range-12000-pound-tow-rating"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "Ford News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "F-150"
  - "Ford"
  - "hybrid"
---

# Hybrid 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Targets 700-Mile Range, 12,000-Pound Tow Rating

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/06/All-new_F-150_008.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

America's favorite vehicle is indisputably the Ford F-150, and when Ford reveals a revamped version of its bestselling pickup like it did today, the entire world stops to stare. And the world has extra reason to gawk this time around because the 2021 F-150 has changed more substantially than any model prior. It'll have interior and tailgate workstations, a wirelessly updated new Sync 4 infotainment system that speaks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto alike, and late next year, the ability to [drive hands-free on over 100,000 miles of American highways](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/34184/fords-answer-to-autopilot-and-super-cruise-is-co-pilot360-on-the-mustang-mach-e>). But most importantly, the F-150 will, at last, be available with a hybrid powertrain, one which Ford says should offer "the most torque and horsepower of any light-duty full-size pickup."

Potentially fulfilling that promise will be Ford's new PowerBoost drivetrain, which is more or less [the proven 3.5-liter, twin-turbo EcoBoost V6](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/14410/watch-this-ford-f-150-ecoboost-blow-the-doors-off-a-hellcat>) with a 47-horsepower electric motor grafted on. It deploys power from a 1.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery embedded between the frame rails near the rear axle, which is in turn recharged under regenerative braking. Their combined power (which Ford hasn't yet disclosed) travels through a 10-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels or, via an electronically actuated transfer case, all four.

![message-editor%2F1593109927803-all-new\_f-150\_013.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1593109927803-all-new_f-150_013.jpg>)
*2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, *Ford**

Ford hopes the PowerBoost's added efficiency will turn its 30.6-gallon tank into 700-plus miles of range, which equates to just under 23 mpg, or four better than a 2020 EcoBoost V6 model. That won't come at the expense of capability either, as Ford targets at least 12,000 pounds of towing capacity for 2021 F-150s equipped with the Max Tow Package.

![message-editor%2F1593109912235-all-new\_f-150\_002.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1593109912235-all-new_f-150_002.jpg>)
*2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, *Ford**

Opting for the PowerBoost motor will also enhance one of the new F-150's cleverest upgrades—the available Pro Power Onboard system. This 2.0-kW onboard generator is adequate for powering a terrific tailgate setup, and on PowerBoost models, its output is upgraded to 2.4 kW, split across quadruple 120-volt outlets. That's enough to power [a mobile movie projector setup](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/29603/ford-patents-idea-for-building-a-movie-projector-into-suv-tailgates>) for up to 85 hours on a full tank, and that's only the intermediate of the three such systems available.

![message-editor%2F1593109818931-all-new\_f-150\_030.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1593109818931-all-new_f-150_030.jpg>)
*2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, *Ford**

Ford will let you upgrade PowerBoost-equipped models to a 7.2-kW system that adds a 240-volt, 30-amp socket, whose total power output is enough to theoretically run a mobile TIG welding workshop, complete with a mini-fridge and AC unit. It's also enough to run an electric two-post lift, meaning the new F-150 might be capable of supporting a complete mobile mechanic bay—and if the frame can't take it, a trailer surely can.

![message-editor%2F1593109999362-all-new\_f-150\_045.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1593109999362-all-new_f-150_045.jpg>)
*2021 Ford F-150 Limited, *Ford**

Ford will allow buyers of every trim from the base XL to the top-shelf Limited access to the PowerBoost hybrid engine when the 2021 F-150 goes on sale this fall. No plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the next-gen F-150 is expected, as Ford will completely skip this interim step to launch [a fully electric F-150](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31323/patent-docs-hint-electric-ford-f-150-will-mount-battery-inside-traditional-truck-frame>), which [could debut as soon as November.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/29726/electric-only-ford-f-150-pickup-truck-could-hit-market-in-2021-report>) Given the delays forced on the auto industry by COVID-19, however, it may be more realistic to expect a reveal sometime in 2021 and launch for the 2022 model year.

![message-editor%2F1593109948146-all-new\_f-150\_014.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1593109948146-all-new_f-150_014.jpg>)
*2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, *Ford**

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## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)