Ford Super Duty Could Get Multi-Energy Tech—Perhaps Even a Hybrid

• Ford is adding a third North American assembly plant for its Super Duty trucks in Ontario, Canada.
  

• Ford says this plant will be able to increase F-Series Super Duty capacity by 100,000 examples and will support future multi-energy technology.

• Ford is also adding jobs to its Windsor engine facility to build even more V8 engines.

If you thought Ford wasn’t building enough F-Series Super Duty trucks, Ford would agree with you. The company is expanding its operations in North America and is setting up Super Duty assembly at its Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada.

In addition, Ford says this new assembly point could support “future multi-energy technology.” Ford currently only offers traditional powertrain options for its Super Duty line of pickups.

When jumping into an F-250 and beyond, you’ll have two gasoline engines that share an architecture, or you can step up to the 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel burner. Of course, there are two different output options for the diesel PowerStroke, but it’s still fundamentally the same engine.

Looking at its smaller light-duty stablemate, the Ford F-150 offers traditional gasoline engine options, a hybrid PowerBoost alternative, and the battery-electric Ford F-150 Lightning.

Ford’s comments about future multi-energy tech could point to some of the concepts Ford has already applied to its F-150 powertrains that could make the leap to the Super Duty lineup in the near future.

Ford is also expanding the labor pool in its Windsor, Ontario, Canada, engine facility, planning to hire 150 workers there to support the needed engine demand. That boost in production will bolster the current V8 offerings for the Super Duty lineup.

It’s worth noting this Super Duty expansion comes at the cost of the planned three-row EV crossover that was expected to come from the Oakville factory.

Ford’s CEO Jim Farley says, “…we look forward to introducing three-row electric utility vehicles, leveraging our experience in three-row utility vehicles and our learnings as America’s No. 2 electric-vehicle brand to deliver fantastic, profitable vehicles.”

With all of this in mind, don’t be surprised to see a hybrid or battery-electric Super Duty from Ford in the coming years. If you’re a gambler, the smartest money might be on a hybrid powertrain underneath Ford’s workhorse.

Do you think a multi-energy Super Duty makes sense? Tell us your thoughts below.