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Ford’s F-150 Raptor is the performance version of the most popular pickup truck in the world. For a long time, it’s been synonymous with off-roading, power, and all-around fun truck driving. Although it will receive upgrades soon, the off-road performance pickup is falling short now. Tests conducted by experts revealed that the 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid is faster than the F-150 Raptor.

Ford F-150 Raptor can’t beat a hybrid

The Ford F-150 hybrid PowerBoost is faster than the Raptor off-road performance pickup truck
The Ford F-150 hybrid PowerBoost | Ford Motor Co.

The Ford F-150 Raptor is still one of the most capable off-road trucks available. Despite this fact, it’s still not the fastest on the road or even in the Ford lineup. Edmunds recently tested a few different variants of the 2021 Ford F-150, including the hybrid, Tremor, and Raptor models. Most impressively, the hybrid model is fast, but most disappointingly, the performance pickup is slower.

The experts tested the trucks’ ability to go from 0 to 60 mph and quarter-mile acceleration. Surprisingly, the F-150 Raptor, Tremor, and hybrid posted an identical 0-60 time. All three Ford F-150 variants took precisely 5.8 seconds to reach 60 mph. However, the quarter-mile results turned out a little differently. Moreover, the Raptor finished in third place behind the F-150 Hybrid and Tremor models by .2 seconds.

2021 Ford F-150 model0-601/4 mile
Raptor5.8 seconds14.3 seconds @ 92 mph
Tremor5.8 seconds14.1 seconds @ 96.9 mph
Hybrid5.8 seconds14.1 seconds @ 98.1 mph
All information is from Edmunds‘ testing.

Ford F-150 Hybrid vs. Raptor: Engine

A black 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor off-road performance pickup truck is slower than the Hybrid.
The 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor | Ford

To find out why the F-150 Hybrid is faster than the Raptor, we first need to look at the engines. Which engine does each of these Ford F-150 models have under the hood? Firstly, the Ford F-150 Raptor uses a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, making 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. Next, the F-150 Hybrid houses a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6, making 430 horsepower and 570 lb-ft of torque because of electric assist. Finally, the F-150 Tremor uses a toned-down version of the Raptor engine, making 400 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque.

Each of the Ford F-150 models uses nearly the same engine across the board. However, the hybrid model gains extra power from its partially electric powertrain. Additionally, the F-150 Hybrid weighs quite a bit less than the Raptor. Is weight a massive contributing factor to the speed test results?

Is the F-150 Hybrid faster because it’s lighter?

A white F-150 with workers using the Pro Power Onboard
Ford F-150 Hybrid | Ford

Is the Ford F-150 Hybrid faster than the Raptor because of weight? Edmunds listed the weight of the Raptor at 5,961 pounds, which is quite a bit more than the F-150 Hybrid. Even with a partially electric powertrain, the hybrid model weighs 5,866 pounds, nearly 100 fewer than the performance pickup. Alternatively, the Tremor is much lighter, weighing 5,521 pounds.

It’s easy to see that the lightest truck of the three isn’t the fastest. Although the Tremor tied with the hybrid for 0-60 and quarter-mile time, it only reached 96.9 mph while the hybrid reached 98.1. Therefore, the F-150 Hybrid is the fastest of the three despite its weight.

Furthermore, the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX crushes all Ford models in speed. More importantly, it weighs far more than even the F-150 Raptor. Ram’s performance model weighs a whopping 6,713 pounds but has a far better 0-60 and quarter-mile time than every Ford truck. Edmunds’ tests revealed a 4.2-second 0-60 and 12.7-second at 106.5 mph quarter-mile time for the Ram 1500 TRX.

Ford F-150 Hybrid is actually faster than the Raptor

In conclusion, it’s surprising that the Ford F-150 Hybrid is actually faster than the Ford F-150 Raptor. When buying a pickup truck, the Raptor is an off-road performance model you’d think would be very fast. Moreover, you’d undoubtedly never believe it would lose to its fuel-efficient sibling. However, electricity provides instant acceleration that many ICE models can’t match. Even a pickup as powerful as the Raptor struggles to beat a hybrid in a race.

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