(May 5, 2014) DEARBORN, Mich. — For the third month in a row, more than 57 percent of retail sales of Ford F-150 light-duty trucks are powered by V6 engines — reversing 47 years of V8 engine dominance in the industry. More than 45 percent of these sales are trucks equipped with Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost.

Over the last three years, retail registrations of light-duty pickups powered by V6 engines grew more than 600 percent, with F-150 directly responsible for 91 percent of that growth, based on Ford analysis of Polk retail registration data.

“We expect those numbers to hold for the rest of the year,” said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager. “It really is amazing when you consider we are doing that with just two V6 engine choices – the 3.5-liter EcoBoost and the 3.7-liter Ti-VCT engine. When we come out with the new 2015 F-150, we will offer three different V6 engines, so there is potential for further growth.”

The segment-exclusive technologies built into every EcoBoost engine, including turbocharging and direct fuel injection, are particularly relevant for truck customers. This combination of turbocharging and direct fuel injection delivers a wealth of low-end torque and maintains it across a broad rpm range, which is key in towing applications.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine delivers 420 lb.-ft. of torque and 365 horsepower to enable best-in-class towing of 11,300 pounds – more than enough to tow a fully loaded, three-horse trailer or a 30-foot boat. Plus, this engine does it all on regular fuel and with outstanding fuel economy.

“Truck customers should think of the EcoBoost truck engine as a gas-powered engine with diesel-type capability and characteristics,” said Jim Mazuchowski, Ford V6 engines program manager. “The twin turbochargers and direct injection give it the broad, flat torque curve that makes towing with a diesel so effortless and hard acceleration so much fun.”

In the last three years, no competitor has eclipsed a 20 percent take rate for V6 engines in half-ton trucks. It’s been a predominantly V8 crowd, until the introduction of the Ford EcoBoost V6.

“Today’s customer doesn’t hold to the old notion that a truck must be powered by a V8 engine,” Scott said. “Just five years ago, you would have had a hard time making a case for V6 truck engines. Not today. Now, it’s all about fuel effectiveness. Customers are looking for the best combination of city and highway mileage, horsepower, torque, towing capacity, payload and value, asking the key question, ‘What is the most productive, efficient package for the work I need to do?’.”

That efficiency a V6 engine delivers is starting to have a significant impact on the environment. By moving half a million F-150 customers out of V8s and into V6 engines, Ford has saved more than 56 million gallons of fuel – more than all of the fuel saved from every electric and plug-in electric car ever sold.

That gap will only widen as time goes on, Scott said.

Along with the 3.7-liter Ti-VCT and 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engines, the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 will offer a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine with standard Auto Start-Stop, built in Lima, Ohio.