2016 Ford F-150 V8 offers CNG/propane option

Ford announced that 2016 F-150 pickups fitted with a 5.0-liter V8 offered haulers available with a factory-installed gaseous-fuel option. The aluminum-intensive 2016 F-150 will join the existing F-Series Super Duty pickups as well as the Transit and Transit Connect vans/wagons in the automaker’s portfolio of dual-fuel vehicles with engines able to burn compressed natural gas or propane as well as gasoline, if necessary. Ford’s factory CNG/propane engine adds $315 to the purchase price of the truck, at which point the customer must choose a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier to complete the conversion by installing the tanks, fuel lines and engine injectors required. These off-site upfits will run approximately $7,500-$9,500 depending on the fuel tank capacity, a factor that makes them better suited to fleet use.

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 In addition to producing about 20 percent less CO2 emissions than gasoline, gaseous alternative fuels are cheaper as well. Ford data indicates the average price of a gallon of CNG on April 30 was $2.11 and it could be had for as little as $1 in some places. That compared to the respective $2.58 and $2.81 per-gallon averages for gasoline and diesel. Although fuel economy isn’t directly equivalent, owners who rack up more than 15,000 miles annually should see a drop in their operational costs. Equally important, burning CNG/propane won’t impact the F-150’s towing capability and total payload will be only marginally reduced by the added weight of the tanks and related hardware. 

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"We surveyed customers likely to use natural gas or propane, and 72 percent told us they want to have these alternative-fuel capabilities available on an F-150 with the 5.0-liter V8 engine," said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager. "We expect the gaseous-fuel prep package will be even more popular than it was on the 2014 F-150 with the 3.7-liter V6 engine, given the capability of the 2016 F-150 5.0-liter V8." He also noted that Ford has sold over 57,000 CNG/propane-ready vehicles since it began offering them in 2010 — seven times more than all other U.S. automakers combined.

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