The full hybrid powertrain is the most powerful engine in the all-new F-150 lineup, delivering 430 horsepower and 570 lb.-ft. of torque. To prove it will deliver the long-term performance customers demand, it also had to pass the same tests all other F-150s must complete. Tests included towing fully loaded trailers over desert mountain passes in 100-plus degree temperatures, withstanding punishing terrain off-road, conquering frozen tundras, and enduring high-humidity chambers, salt baths, and roads designed to destroy.
Engineers added a unique durability test specifically for PowerBoost. Ford built a custom testing machine using multi-axis hydraulic actuation to violently shake the powertrain’s 1.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery – simulating conditions like hitting the harshest of potholes and washboard roads, then subjecting it to even more daily abuse. Putting the battery through just 82 hours on this machine is the equivalent of 10 years of mechanical torture. “This thing is like a mechanical bull on steroids,” said Jack Parnoutsoukian, high-voltage application engineer.
In combination with the modular hybrid transmission, the battery enables the operation of Pro Power Onboard to deliver a standard 2.4 kilowatts of exportable power or available 7.2 kilowatts – 18 times more power than the nearest competitor can manage.
That was in addition to the battery of Built Ford Tough testing that spans America.
For instance, Davis Dam in the Mojave Desert of Arizona is a massive 11.4-mile slope that climbs 3,500 feet with an average 6 percent grade and harsh heat. It is one of the toughest places in the United States to test towing performance. PowerBoost trucks loaded to the maximum available tow rating of 12,700 pounds climbed and descended the Davis Dam pass over and over and over again to prove the full durability of the engine, modular hybrid transmission, cooling systems, and towing technologies.
