2021 Ford F-150 hauls up to 14,000 pounds

A couple months on from the official unveiling of the fourteenth-generation Ford F-150, the truck fiends at Dearborn have revealed a few key specs for the upcoming version of America’s best-selling pickup. This being Ford’s soldier of fortune in The Truck Wars, it should come as no surprise that the 2021 F-150 tops the towing and payload charts.

The 2021 F-150 can tow up to 14,000 pounds when owners spec the 3.5-liter EcoBoost (the non-hybridized version; the hybrid version is called the PowerBoost) and the Max Trailer Tow Package and a rear-wheel drive configuration. Impressively, buyers can opt for the max hauler with either the SuperCab (cab-and-a-half) or the SuperCrew (crew cab). On the payload battlefront, Ford’s 5.0-liter V-8-equipped F-150 can lug a whopping 3325 pounds when outfitted with a regular cab, 8-foot box, rear-drive layout, and the Max Trailer Tow and Heavy-Duty Payload packages.

The biggest news of the next-gen F-150 is the hybridized PowerBoost setup, which pairs together Ford’s 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 with a 47-horse electric motor built into the 10-speed automatic transmission. The 1.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery charges via regenerative braking, helping to boost fuel economy. The one thing missing from the prior product launch? Full output figures for the new PowerBoost drivetrain; thankfully, the wait for those numbers is now over: 430 horsepower at 6000 rpm and a hefty 570 lb-ft of torque at 3000 rpm.

The hybrid tech is more than just a twist-enhancer. The Pro Power Onboard package—standard on all PowerBoost F-150s—offers 2.4 kilowatts of power or an optional 7.2 kilowatts of power through a 240-volt 30-amp outlet, for all of your plug-in hand tool needs while out on the job. Gas-only F-150s can enjoy a 2.0-kilowatt version of this built-in generator tech.

Ford massaged the 3.5-liter twin-turbo mill to produce 400 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 500 lb-ft of torque at 3100 rpm, jumps of 25 hp and 30 lb-ft, respectively. The 5.0-liter V-8 increases output by 5 horsepower and 10 lb-ft of torque, up to 400 horses and 410 lb-ft of torque. All six engines, from the fleet-favorite 3.3-liter V-6 up to the tech-savvy PowerBoost 3.5-liter Hybridized V-6 will have 10 forward cogs to dance through.

Ford says the 2021 F-150 should arrive in dealer lots this fall. There’s also a fully-electric F-150 coming in the next two years, which Ford says will boast a giant frunk and range-topping power numbers, like its gas and diesel brethren. Last July, Ford trotted out a battery-only F-150 prototype and lugged 1.25 million pounds of train cars stacked with additional F-150s, as a publicity stunt.

In the meantime, it certainly seems like the next-gen F-150 will have a model for everyone, and the capability to boot.