Ford Discontinues Diesel Engine For F-150 Pickup

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Diesel engines were dying off well before Volkswagen's Dieselgate scandal. Now, consumers looking to purchase a diesel engine are locked into getting either full-size or heavy-duty pickup trucks. In those applications, diesel engines make sense. Their low-down torque results in impressive towing capacities and long lifespans. Consumers shopping for a Ford F-150 may be shocked to hear that after a short period of time, the automaker has decided to discontinue its diesel engine.

Diesel Engine Discontinued

Ford Authority reports that the 3.0-liter Power Stroke V6 diesel engine in the F-150 will be discontinued. That means consumers will have to choose from the other five available powertrains that include a 3.3-liter V6, turbo 2.7-liter V6, 5.0-liter V8, twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, and hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6. It seems as if the engine is being pushed out for the brand to focus on its PowerBoost technology.

"Our customers overwhelmingly order our EcoBoost V6 gasoline engines," a Ford spokesperson said in a statement to The Roadshow. "For customers who need maximum towing torque, we now offer the F-150 PowerBoost as the ideal combination of capability, power and fuel efficiency, which wasn't available when Power Stroke was introduced."

For the majority of shoppers, the diesel engine was a tough sell. Pricing for the diesel engine ranged from an extra $3,000 to $4,995 depending on trim and configuration. Additionally, the engine wasn't the top choice in the lineup for towing and payload capacity. That title belongs to the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.

Diesel Unlikely To Return

The 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 was rated at 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. When properly equipped, the diesel engine was rated to tow up to 12,100 pounds and carry up to 1,840 pounds. The available 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 makes 400 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. It can tow up to 14,000 pounds and carry 3,250 pounds in its bed. Even the new hybrid powertrain proved to be a better choice than the diesel, making 430 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid is rated to tow 12,700 pounds and carry 2,120 pounds in its bed.

Beyond being the most expensive engine in the lineup, it couldn't tow as much as lower powertrains. Additionally, the diesel engine couldn't be fitted with Ford's onboard inverter generator, faced tightening regulations, and tough competition from rivals from Ram and General Motors.

Consumers looking to purchase a diesel-powered F-150 have until July 16 to place an order for a model. After that, the Power Stroke will disappear. With the introduction of a hybrid F-150 and the all-electric F-150 Lightning, we think this could be the last F-150 pickup to be available with a diesel engine.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods