© Glenn Paulina - Car and Driver
The new Ford pickup will have a new body-on-frame platform that will support both plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
Ford is getting ready to evolve its best-selling F-150 pickup truck for the 2021 model year. It could have a slightly smaller V-8 engine, a plug-in-hybrid powertrain, and a new platform that will support the first ever electric powertrain in a Ford truck, ready for future competition from the newly announced GMC Hummer EV and other recently announced electric trucks.
© Glenn Paulina - Car and Driver
Spy Photos Give a Closer Look at 2021 Ford F-150
From these spy photos, we can see that the F-150's overall design won't be altered too dramatically. The bulk of the differences are in the truck's design cues, specifically the grille, headlight surrounds, and taillights—the only things fully visible in these photos.
As for the powertrain options, we know that there will be a plug-in-hybrid option as well as the introduction of the first electric F-150. Specs on these electrified powertrains are still unknown, although Ford did pull a stunt last summer in which a prototype F-150 EV towed a one-million-pound train filled with 42 F-150 trucks.
There's also a rumor that the 5.0-liter V-8 will be replaced by a 4.8-liter V-8.
Expect the new F-150 to make its official debut in the near future. We say this because Ted Cannis, Ford's global director for electrification, told Automotive News Canada that the electric F-150 will be next after the Mustang Mach-E, which was revealed late last year.