Towing Race: 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Pitted Against the Ram 1500 HEMI eTorque

FoMoCo has integrated an e-motor into the 10-speed automatic transmission of the half-ton pickup, and that drive unit supplements the EcoBoost engine up front. The Blue Oval didn’t give any output figures, but the Dearborn-based automaker did promise segment-leading power.

That statement dates back to when the TRX was still under covers, but as far as electrified pickups are concerned, Ford has this one in the bag. Lest we forget, the twin-turbo V6 develops 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque in the previous-gen Limited and Raptor.

Although it’s a mild hybrid rather than a hybrid, only the Ram 1500 with the HEMI V8 and eTorque comes close to the PowerBoost. The question is, how do these two fare against each other in a race?

Not a drag race on a prepped surface, but a towing race with 5,500-pound trailers is what we’re talking about! No fewer than two videos of the F-150 and Ram have been uploaded on YouTube by the F150Gen14 forum, and as you may expect, the newer truck has the edge.

The Ram does make the better sound thanks to eight cylinders, but the F-150 walks away thanks to greater torque at lower revolutions per minute thanks to its turbos. Ford didn’t confirm it, but chances are that the electric motor delivers the goodies right as the driver steps on the loud pedal, helping the half-ton truck accelerate quicker off the line.

While we wait for the Blue Oval to publish the horsepower and torque figures of the PoweBoost, we should refresh our memories with the HEMI eTorque of the Ram 1500. The motor-generator unit attached to the crankshaft delivers 16 horses and 130 torques, but it never assists the V8 engine when operating near its peak ratings. Because of this - let's call it "engineering design decision" - the e-motor's output isn’t added to the engine’s output.