Ford Puts F-150 Diesel on Ice
Automotive News [sub] reports that Ford has decided to shelve plans to introduce a diesel F-150 in 2010. Last spring, Ford demoed dealers with a 4.4-liter oil burning V8 F-150. It boasted an estimated 350 hp and 500 lb·ft of torque—more power and twist than the F-150’s 5.4-liter gasoline V8 while quaffing 20 percent less fuel. And then F-150 sales dried-up and gas prices cratered—especially relative to diesel. “No new date has been scheduled [for the diesel pickup],” Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, told Automotive News late last month. “We’re still looking at the appropriate time to do that. We’ve put it on the back burner for right now.” According to AN‘s source/speculation, the diesel F-150 has officially been delayed until 2013. “But it will likely be canceled outright unless diesel prices fall substantially below gasoline for a prolonged period.” And then what? You’d think Ford would want a fully developed, tried and tested diesel F-150 in their quiver ahead of any such completely unexpected development. Then again, money’s too tight to mention.
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Gotta love all the comments that say Ford Execs are out to lunch. I guess they think it's a good idea to press on with money-losing product decisions. Damn the torpedoes! Were doing the Diesel anyway! At least they have publicly stated that diesels are on the back burner (not off the stovetop) until which point that diesels make economic sense for consumers and manufacturers. That to me makes the most sense. Ford -- you continue to make the right decisons lately. Keep it up!
Wouldn't Ford's Ecoboost gasoline turbo direct injection engnes go a long way toward diesel efficiency without the polution and fuel cost problems associated with diesels?
Maybe the problem of NO small diesels would subside if A) the shameful quality(ie LOW cetane) of our Dfuel and the great quality of biodiesel(not WVO) were more known, and B) if regulators would allow qualified after-market solutions to emission specs. Just as I doubt current after-market chip, turbo/supercharger and exhaust modifications meet specs, possibly they could. Now, its all an OEMs all-or-nothing game. Legislators need to change an over-restrictive law.
[...] Ford Puts F-150 Diesel on Ice | The Truth About Cars By Robert Farago Automotive News [AN sub] reports that Ford has decided to shelve plans to introduce a diesel F-150 in 2010. Last spring, Ford demoed dealers with a. The Truth About Cars – http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/ [...]