Ram made a big splash last year when it brought V8 engines back to its light duty pickup lineup and it’s still trying to catch up with demand. Ford can relate.
The Blue Oval brand spent a few years getting customers accustomed to turbocharged V6s, but it never stopped making V8s. Now, it needs to make more of them.
During Ford’s 2025 fourth-quarter earnings call, Andrew Frick, President of both the Ford Blue and Model e divisions — which are respectively responsible for internal combustion engine vehicles and EVs — said the company is increasing production of V8 powered F-150s, particularly the Lariat and Raptor trims,, due to customer demand.
CFO Sherry House also noted that the Raptors and the other off-road performance vehicles in Ford’s lineup now account for 20% of sales. The F-150 Raptor is powered by a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 while the F-150 Raptor R gets a supercharged 5.2-liter V8.
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Ford F-150 production has been constrained due to an aluminum shortage that is expected to affect supplies into the second half of this year, so building the most desirable models is a priority.
Of course, General Motors also sells a lot of V8 pickups, but is about to launch all-new trucks with new engines and will have some downtime this year as it makes the transition, which will cut into inventories. Meanwhile, the latest Toyota Tundra is only available with V6s, either as a conventional turbo or in a hybrid unit.
Speaking of hybrids, Frick said Ford plans to crank up production of the hybrid Maverick due to demand, which would come at the expense of the turbocharged four-cylinder engine option, although he didn’t give specifics on what the manufacturing split will be.
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