Exhibit A: A 7.3L gasoline-powered V8 coming to Ford’s Super Duty pickups and commercial vehicles, from ambulances and utility bucket trucks to just a step shy of massive highway semitrucks.
Most of the conversation about big trucks like these ‐ they’re officially called Class 2 through Class 7 vehicles, based on the massive weights they can haul and tow ‐ focuses on diesel engines. But gasoline engines play a role, too, accounting for up to 40% of sales of big Class 2-4 pickups like Ford’s F-250, 350 and 450 Super Duty trucks.
"Diesels are incredibly important for those trucks, but many customers don’t need their full towing capacity," IHS Markit senior analyst Stephanie Brinley said. "Those customers can get everything they need at a lower cost with a gasoline engine."
In addition to that, many fleet customers only keep trucks this size for three or four years, so diesel’s long-term, high-mileage durability isn’t worth those engines’ higher cost.
The new V8 produces 430 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque in Super Duty pickups, slightly less in some of Ford's other commercial trucks.