2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty (Ford)
Ford’s heavy duty trucks are lightening up.
After months of speculation fueled by reports from spy photographers, Ford has confirmed that the next generation F-Series Super Duty pickups will feature aluminum bodywork like the 2015 F-150 does.
The announcement was part of Ford’s “2020 Vision” presentation to investors, which also predicted Ford’s overall vehicle sales to increase 45-55 percent globally by 2020.
Details on just how much aluminum will be used on the Super Duty trucks, or when they will appear, was not detailed, but many industry analysts expect them to arrive for the 2017 model year.
The new F-150 feature a full aluminum body and cab, which Ford says saves approximately 700 pounds per truck, improving fuel economy, towing and cargo carrying capability.
Several months ago photographers came across a camouflaged next-gen Super Duty parked in public and discovered that magnets wouldn’t stick to it, indicating an aluminum construction.
A few weeks later another prototype being tested in Death Valley caught fire and left behind a pile of molten aluminum, pretty much revealing the truck’s secret in a most unflattering way.
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