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A Chevy dealer I drove by in Whitehall NY today had 4 of the Chevy version of the Isuzu NPR chassis cab on their lot.

But those need space for the battery pack, and the associated weight. The transmission may be simpler with those, but will still be fairly heave to handle the torques involved..

Chicago built? Avon Lake is closer to Cleveland.

Huh? Any class 6,7,8 truck will have a fairly large engine. The F Max just stuffs it under the driver like any COE.

The only scooters that I see on the road are Amish scooters (foot powered with 12 to 16 inch wheels). And they are becoming more popular lately in rural areas. A friend rides one to get around.

The problem for me is that these new utilities just do not have the "utility" I am used to with my hatchback sedan. Less room, less cargo space, more wasted space (at least in the ones on the market now that I have looked at). Reminds me of when the Edge first came out - I looked at it and it offered less room and utility than the Saturn LW2 wagon I was driving at the time.

Now, an updated version of the '67 Custom 500 might be something. A bit taller than todays sedans, with a more upright seating position. Would fit right in as a SUV/CUV with the right styling.

One reason that Ford may be doing this is that to meet the 2019 thru 2021 CAFE and GHG emissions standards (I think NY, NJ, CT, MA and a few other states have adopted the CA vehicle emissions standards) it that a much higher mix of hybrids and plug in hybrids will be necessary. With the low fuel prices, and consumer preferences for vehicles that do not fit the government goals, people are going to have to be "influenced" to buy what someone else thinks is an appropriate vehicle. The auto companies have dumped and are dumping huge sums into vehicles that meet upcoming mandates, and they somehow must get the customers to buy these vehicles.

I see this engine as a response to the tightening regulations on carbon dioxide emissions. I recently read an article in an SAE publication about current (MY 2018) powertrains and how only about 6% of light duty trucks are able to comply with the 2021 regulations today. The 2021 model year is only 2 years away.

For quite a few years now, the trend to go single source has been going on. It can reduce costs, but there is always the risk of a supplier issue causing interruptions in production. I guess the cost benefit vs risk were such that a manageable risk was acceptable.

Wonder how much the battery weighs.

Funny thought, a fully dressed Coyote nearly takes up the same space as the old Super Duties (401, 477, 543).

The old Astro/Safari awd vans have a considerable and loyal following around the snow belt. I know people doing much to keep the ones they have on the road. For the size , interior space, and capability there is not much on the market today that can equal it.

On Ram moving to class 6&7, maybe. In Mexico, I have seen Ram trucks with the same cab as on the class 3,4,5 trucks, but with much deeper straight frame rails and stake bodies. The only badging I could see was Ram HD. If they have the capacity to make the cabs, the frames, drivetrains, and axles are pretty much purchased components that can be put together.

Low speed opposed piston engines have been used for years in the power generation and backup power world. Efficiency and longevity were just two of the reasons. This is just using the opposed piston principle in a different application with current materials and technology. I say go for it!

Hey, I like Bob's perspective, and those of others who post here. I have always been of the opinion that choice in powertrains is a factor in sales numbers. But, in the case of Ford, it is what it is, but we can always ask for more.

I drove about 600 miles yesterday along I90, I87, I89 and some other roads and saw at least half a dozen older IH cabovers on the road pulling everything from a flatbed, 53 foot dry van, and a livestock trailer. Was it "bring out your old cabover day"?

The weight savings will be from engine/exhaust/fuel system primarily. I still see some sort of transmission, and the axles will still be heavy to support/drive an 80K GCW. Add to that battery thermal management equipment, Emotor cooling equipment (low speed/high torque operation generally requires an additional air mover) also. And the inverter/motor controller is not lightweight for such applications - and it needs to be cooled also.

the problem is not primarily generating the electricity for EVs, but the distribution. Currently our biggest problem is getting the electricity to where it is being used - our distribution grid is old and weak in many areas. And no one wants their electric bill to go up to pay for the needed upgrades. And no one wants new transmission lines in their back yard. If a truck stop was to put in a fast charge facility, they would need a substation at least as large as that for a major automotive stamping plant to meet peak demand. Same for trucking company terminals. All of this is not cheap but no one wants to pay for the infrastructure to get the electricity to where it will be needed.And what about rest areas that are filled with semis at night? Who is going to put the charging infrastructure there if drivers are supposed to hook up their semi to recharge while they take off time?

Yep, My dad's one cousin was a plumber, and his work truck was a very early Econoline with the 4 on the tree. he joked that if he was ever in a front end accident, his feet would be the first to know.

Well, I see that Ryder will be offering a full electric medium duty van (16,535 GVW). http://wardsauto.com/engines/chinese-company-fields-electric-cv-us-market?NL=WAW-04&Issue=WAW-04_20171026_WAW-04_704&cl=article_3&utm_rid=CPENT000003196497&utm_campaign=15002&utm_medium=email&elq2=10bb379e4160443194c9c33ccc9ab259 Chinese built, brought in as completely knocked down kits and put together somewhere in the US. Hey, try anything once.

Question - which operating condition does GDI generate the most particulate in, light load high speed, moderate load moderate speed, or heavy loading, any speed? Also an observation - there is no current "loophole" that allows GDI engines to emit greater particulates, because there are no current limits on particulate emissions of spark ignition engines. Future regs may mirror the diesel particulate regs.

For cars, I see the V8 going away, and possibly in the F150 also. (just look at the CAFE and emissions regs in the next 7 years). I also see fewer 4 cylinder variants, possibly going to one family available in 3 displacements (this can give up to 6 engines if both NA and boosted are offered).

When it comes to particulate emissions, all I know is that the tailpipe on my '13 ecoboost F150 is blacker than the one on my mid 60s International 3414 diesel. After a long trip I even have to wipe some black off of the side of the bed just aft of the tailpipe.

By the way, I have seen regular cab short bed F150s (2016 and up) in places other than Oklahoma. Maine and Ohio are two.