By James Raia
Pickup trucks in recent years have become so spacious and uber-modern, they could easily be called apartments on wheels.
The just-debuting 2021 Ford F-150 makes the concept a reality. It will include a passenger seat that folds flat – a “sleeper seat” – among its new design features.
The seat, according to a news service report, will lay entirely flat like the configuration of a first-class airline seat.
While the new seat is novel, the pickup is expected to have additional updates, including a substantial interior makeover and state-of-the-art technology advances like a center touchscreen and digital gauges.
An F-150 Hybrid, which will match the truck’s V6 and includes an electric engine, is also planned for a 2021 model debut later this year.
The new F-150 will also debut as the second most prosperous consumer brand in sales, according to a new economic analysis from the Boston Consulting Group.
The Apple iPhone generated $55 billion in revenue to $42 billion for the F-Series in 2019. The F-Series generated more revenue than the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League combined.
Ford plans to debut it new pickup on June 25. It’s been the country’s best-selling vehicle for many years.
The F-Series full-size pickup truck franchise within Ford is so big that it would make the list of Fortune 100 companies.
“It is impossible to overstate the economic significance of the Ford F-150 to Ford and the U.S. economy,” said market analyst Jon Gabrielsen. “The Ford F-150 is the single highest-volume vehicle sold in the U.S.
James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, California, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, www.theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@jamesraia.com.
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