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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ford’s latest F-150 pickups will test market for aluminum trucks

The new Ford F-150 truck is seen Thursday at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Mich. (Associated Press)
Dee-Ann Durbin Associated Press

DEARBORN, Mich. – Russell Barnett, a Ford dealer in Tennessee, is ready for aluminum.

Ford is using the metal almost exclusively in the body of the 2015 version of its best-selling F-150 pickup, which starts arriving at dealerships next month. Barnett is already answering customers’ questions about the truck. And he’s updated his repair shop not only for the F-150, but in anticipation that other Ford models such as the Mustang will eventually make the switch from steel.

But, just in case, he ordered some extra steel-bodied 2014 pickups.

“There will be some people who won’t want to change for a while,” said Barnett, who said pickups make up around half of the annual sales at his dealership in rural Winchester.

Ford is doubling down on aluminum, which is lighter – and more expensive – than steel but just as tough. The new truck is the company’s response to customers’ requests for a more fuel-efficient and nimbler pickup. Ford hopes the advantages outweigh customer doubts about the durability of aluminum or potential repair costs for the pricier metal.

It’s a big risk. So far this year, one out of every three vehicles Ford sold in the U.S. was an F-Series pickup. Morgan Stanley estimates F-Series trucks account for 90 percent of Ford’s global automotive profit.

On Tuesday, it kicked off production of the new truck at its Dearborn Truck Plant, 4 miles from the company’s headquarters.

“Yeah, this is a risk, but it’s one well worth taking.” said Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman, as he stood alongside the assembly line. “For our customer, this is a big, big leap forward.”

The trucks have been the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. for 32 straight years; last year, Ford sold nearly 100,000 more full-size pickups than General Motors.

Aluminum isn’t new to the auto industry, but this is the first time it will cover the entire body of such a high-volume vehicle. Ford made 647,697 F-150 pickups at its two U.S. plants last year.

If Ford’s bet pays off, it could pad its lead in the lucrative truck market. More importantly, aluminum “future proofs” the truck – and the company – in an era of rising fuel economy standards, said Karl Brauer, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book.

Ford will announce the truck’s fuel economy figures later this month. That could determine if it steals customers away from the Silverado or Ram. Truck buyers are among the most loyal in the auto market.

Ford says the 2015 truck will have from 5 percent to 20 percent better fuel economy that the current version.