The 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost is perhaps one of the most impressive recent editions to the brand’s lineup. Aside from being a hybrid pickup truck, the PowerBoost is the most powerful 2021 F-150 currently available. Edmunds organized a drag race with two of its main competitors to test how this new electrified truck performs. This is how the eco-friendly truck stacks up.

What is so great about the Ford F-150 PowerBoost?

The arrival of the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost marks the arrival of electrification to the best-selling truck in the U.S. However, the available 5.0-liter V8 does not live under the hood. Instead, the PowerBoost counts on the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 as its base. However, in between the engine and transmission, there is a small electric motor. The V6 alone develops 394 hp and 492 lb-ft, says MotorTrend. The electric motor then adds 44 hp and 221 lb-ft on top of that. Total output is then rated at 430 hp and 570 lb-ft.

However, the biggest draw of the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost goes beyond raw power. This is because the electrified truck boasts impressive fuel consumption figures. According to MotorTrend, the PowerBoost can offer up to 24 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway for a combined total of 24 mpg. The next most powerful F-150 consumes 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, to put that into context.

How do the competitors stack up?

To put the Ford F-150 PowerBoost through its paces, Edmunds rounded up two of its main competitors. The first is a Ram 1500. Under the Ram’s hood lives a naturally aspirated, 5.7-liter V8 developing 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. Edmunds reports that the 1500 tips the scales right around 5,893, making it considerably heavy.

The second Ford F-150 fighter is the GMC Sierra Denali. Like the F-150, there are a plethora of available engines for the Sierra. Despite this, the truck featured in this latest video features a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8. Power is rated at 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. Crucially, the Sierra is the lightest at 5,477 lb thanks to a carbon composite bed added as an optional extra, says Edmunds.

If we’re talking weight, the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost is at a major disadvantage. According to Edmunds, the electrified F-150 tips the scales at right around 6,000 lb. This makes it the heaviest truck of the three by far.

The PowerBoost reigns supreme

The first two races saw the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost compete against its rivals on a normal drag race. The first race saw all of the trucks rely purely on rear-wheel-drive power. In this case, the drivers of both the Ram and the GMC reacted quicker and got off the line much faster. Despite this, the F-150 managed to claw its way back into first place by the very end, winning the race.

To mix things up, the second run saw all three trucks switch to four-wheel-drive. Like in the first race, the Ford driver was very slow to respond, allowing the other trucks to lead early. However, this time, the PowerBoost could not recover and subsequently lost the race to the GMC Sierra. It is worth pointing out that the Ford caught the Ram rather quickly.

The final race was staged as a rolling race. In this final race, the F-150 PowerBoost really defeated the competition. This is thanks in part to its massive torque, which allowed it to leap forward at the beginning of the race. From there, it carried on all the way to victory. In the end, the eco-friendly truck won two out of three races, crowning it the winner of Edmunds’ test.