New Ford F-150 Is the First Light-Duty Pickup Truck With LED Headlamps

The Ford F-150 has something that no other light-duty pickup truck has: LED headlamps. They use 63 percent less energy than the halogen bulbs used in other pickups and will last more than five times longer. The headlamps contain an innovative design that magnifies the light which means the road is more illuminated for drivers. Their design and manufacture also helps create jobs for one of Ford’s go-to lighting developers, OSRAM. More than 30 jobs were created at OSRAM's Hillsboro, N.H. facility.

The LED headlamps give new meaning to the advertising slogan, “Built Ford Tough.” They use semiconductor chips to control the light, which makes them more durable, and that means they last longer. Ford lighting expert John Teodecki  is convinced of the durability of the LED headlamps because he knows all the tests conducted on them. “We fire stones at this headlamp, expose it to extreme sun, soak it in saltwater, shoot rocks, rock salt and ice – this thing is very tough to crack," said Teodecki.

The 2015 Ford F-150 is up to 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor and contains the latest EcoBoost technology in a 2.7-liter engine that is more efficient. The engine has standard Auto Start-Stop technology which shuts off the engine when the pickup is at a stop. When the brake is released, the engine restarts. The engine also contains a compacted graphite iron cylinder block, which saves weight. The Ford F-150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost was launched less than three years ago and now accounts for about 35 percent of all F-150 sales.

“The F-150’s proven 3.5-liter EcoBoost has become the industry benchmark for advanced and efficient truck engines,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, global product development. “We’ve applied lessons learned from the 3.5-liter EcoBoost to the new 2.7-liter EcoBoost, but with new technologies that make this more efficient engine perform like a larger mid-range V8.”

The F-150 has some rather great features, including a Lane-Keeping System which helps avert unintentional drifting of vehicles off driving lanes by automatically detecting the left- or right-hand lane markings using a camera mounted between the windshield and interior rearview. The Blind Spot Information System uses radar hidden in the taillamps to detect a vehicle entering a driver’s blind spot while driving or backing up. The Remote Tailgate allows the tailgate to be locked, unlocked and released with the key fob.

“The all-new F-150 redefines the future of trucks, and it is yet another example of our One Ford plan producing vehicles that serve customers with a commitment to the very best quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company chief operating officer.

Image credit: Ford Motor Company