NAIAS 2014: New 2015 Ford F-150 Uses Aluminum Body To Save 700 Pounds, Features 2.7L EcoBoost Six

by Jack Baruth

January 13th, 2014 8:21 AM

naias 2014 new 2015 ford f 150 uses aluminum body to save 700 pounds features 2 7l

With an aluminum body on a steel frame, a la Spen King Range Rover, the new F-150 is up to seven hundred pounds lighter than its predecessor.

A new 2.7L EcoBoost V-6 joins the existing 3.5L V-6, 3.5L Ecoboost, and Coyote five-liter. With “the power of some V8s,” the small-displacement V-6 will enable the F-150 to tow up to 8,000 pounds.

New upscale-ish features include LED headlights and tails, an eight-inch dashboard screen, and a 360-degree camera system.

#2015F150

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Detlump on Jan 15, 2014

Maybe someone beat me to it, but what happens when one of these burns? Aluminum melts at a lower temp than steel. I guess there will be molten blobs of aluminum on the road. How will rescuers deal with soft bodied F150s due to the heat? I wouldn't want molten aluminum falling on me!

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- Troyohchatter on Jan 15, 2014
  
  Most car engines are all aluminum long blocks with composite (read fancy smancy plastic) intake manifolds, and even a few have composite oil pans. Saturn other GM products, among others, use composite body panels and have for years. Aluminum structure probably isn't a big concern.
  
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- Highdesertcat on Jan 15, 2014
  
  detlump, Ford is using Military Grade Aluminum for the new F150 -- the same stuff that the HUMMV and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle are made of. It's good stuff and it ain't cheap. It's an aluminum alloy one grade higher than Aircraft Aluminum.
  
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Fred on Jan 17, 2014

So how easy is to remove that aluminum tailgate sell it for some cash and buy some dope?

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