I had the keys to a 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid for an entire week by some miracle. It was the platinum edition, but you don’t get a truck for sitting pretty where I come from. You get a truck to get work done. So, with the help of some friends with tools and a camper, it was time to see what the Ford F-150 Hybrid could do. 

Is the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost a good work truck? 

Yes, the 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid is a great work truck. It feels pretty agile in tight city areas, and it has everything you need at a construction site, or when you want to power a campsite. It’s incredibly well-rounded with innovative features to solve various problems. 

Many people asked me how the Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid works and if you have to plug it in. You don’t have to plug it in to charge it. The system self-charges through regenerative braking and engine power. 

According to Ford Media, the 4×4 F-150 PowerBoost gets an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. You should be able to get an estimated range of 700 miles on a single tank of gas.

When I got the truck, it had 600 miles left before needing to fill up and only managed to drain it to about 300 miles. But according to the digital cluster display, I was averaging about 16 mpg. 

I traveled from the bumpy country roads of Rock Hill, South Carolina, around the curvy twists and turns of Asheville, North Carolina, and back. I also used the truck to tow a camper and put the onboard generator to work. 

How does the Ford F-150 PowerBoost tow? 

The 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid is an excellent truck for towing. It can tow up to 12,700 lbs and carry a payload of up to 1,210 lbs. I was using a camper that was 4,500 lbs before the furniture was added. My total weight was between 4,500 to 6,000 lbs. 

Despite seeming large and in charge, the Wildwood camper that fits a family of four was no match for this truck. It didn’t feel weighed down at all. I went up and over mountain hills, down gravel roads, played in the dirt, and more. We did engage 4×4 on the gravel roads as needed. 

The engine didn’t feel strained when going up steep inclines, and the brakes felt confident. There was no trouble stopping at the bottom of massive hills. Plus, the F-150 has excellent visibility. 

When you back up, there is an overhead view of the truck and your surroundings. Cameras stitch an image together, allowing you to see exactly where the trailer hitch is. On top of that, parking sensors help you correctly line up. 

I didn’t have the trailer sensors to test out the Trailer Parking Assist feature. However, the view of the camper and the overhead 360-degree view made it incredibly easy to park. It only took two corrections to park the trailer in a narrow spot. 

You can see the view of the camper on the center console, too, giving you peace of mind as you drive. The truck bed view is pretty neat if you would like to keep an eye on your cargo. The truck bed lights provide excellent illumination too. 

How does the Pro Power Onboard Generator work?  

The 2021 Ford F-150 Pro Power Onboard generator uses the engine’s energy to power several devices. It’s in the back of the truck bed by the tailgate. All you have to do is plug in your devices and press the power button. 

Then you have 2,000 watts to use. I used it to run a massive camper. We had the AC, microwave, lights, and a TV going without any issues. There was simply a gentle hum from the back of the truck when it used the engine for power instead of the batteries. It’s quieter than any generator you would find powering a tailgate site. 

According to Pickup Trucks News, the hybrid 2.4-kW system will run for 85 hours on a full tank of gas at 2,400 watts, which is the maximum load. Most Ford trucks will automatically turn off after idling for over 30 minutes. But if the generator detects that it’s powering something, then it will continue to run.