Last month Ford unveiled its new F-150 for the 2021 model year. Ford is attempting to continue being America's best-selling truck company. By trying to attract new buyers, Ford has brought a new level of technology to their new model, but also offers many features to their loyal customers. The truck will arrive in fall 2021 starting at $30,000 and can range up to $70,000. The truck will be manufactured in Missouri, Kansas City, Dearborn, and Michigan.
The company has been investing around $11 billion in a restructuring plan which includes technologies that would be beneficial in the design and manufacturer of their cars and trucks. Their investment has been working because the new F-150 for 2021 will include unique features, such as a hybrid version that pairs a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine with electric motors, 12-inch screens, a generator that can power tools and a segment-first hands-free highway driving system.
The most appreciated feature is the new hands-free driver-assist system that is like Tesla’s Autopilot or GM’s Super Cruise. The system uses a camera to ensure that the driver is paying attention to the road. This feature could be used for over 100,000 miles on highways in the U.S. and Canada. Users can also purchase a pickup with the hardware for the system later this year. Will not be available until 2021. Another feature added to the hybrid model leads the user to achieve 700 miles on a single tank of gas.
“With the F-150, we’ve been in the market for many years, the leader in the market for 43 years, so we know the truck market, we know our customers, we live with them right on the worksite,” LaNeve said. “Every generation, we try to raise the bar.”
Ford has lost over 2 billion dollars at the beginning of 2020 because of the pandemic. As a charity, in May they promoted their “Built for America” campaign, which emphasizes the productions of ventilators and face shields that were distributed all around 50 states. Even with the loss, the company maintain its position in the market; Ford’s F-series is the second most profitable consumer product in the U.S., behind Apple’s iPhone.
