When people think of large trucks, they often think of poor fuel efficiency. Of course, when people think of powerful pickup trucks, Ford’s F-series often comes to mind, which hasn’t been much of a partnership in today’s social and political climate. Ford is looking to turn this from negative to positive with a series of tricks that increase fuel efficiency on the 2010 Ford F350, Ford’s king of consumer trucks. Of course, the king has a new name: The Super Duty.
The 2010 Super Duty comes with three engine options: a 5.3L V8, a 6.8L V10, and a 6.4L Twin Turbo Power Stroke Diesel. Not only does the Power Stroke diesel engine have a massive amount of power, 650 pound-feet of torque at just 2000 rpm, it also offers Ford’s next-generation clean diesel combustion system. Optimized for low-range work and towing, the Power Stroke packs a lot of power, but with that power comes relatively low fuel economy. After all, the new Super Duty can weigh more than two tons on its own and add a towing capacity of more than two and a half tons, and the bottom line is that the Super Duty isn’t a picky supermodel.
Helping tilt physics towards something greener are a few factors. Gas combustion engines feature aluminum headers to save weight, and 5-speed automatics with 6-speed manual transmissions are available to help keep all Super Duty engines where they need to be in the rpm range. Being “in the zone” makes towing and hauling the vehicle easier, which in turn uses less fuel.
