We just saw the recently revealed, 2025 Ford Expedition. It includes several interior innovations and a new off-roading Tremor trim. But Ford stayed away from hybrid tech. Why?
Ford introduced us to the fifth generation, 2025 Ford Expedition just a few days ago. It included several innovations, much of it with the idea of making the vehicle more useful for families. And for the off-roading interested, Ford now offers three rows worth of Tremor trim, adding ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and skid plates to the large SUV. But Ford largely left the powertrain alone. That perplexed me.
CARRY OVER POWERTRAIN?
Just as the fourth generation Expedition did, propulsion comes from a turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6. It develops 400 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft of torque. Ford options a high output version of this engine in the Platinum trim, producing 440 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft of torque. And that high output version comes standard in the new Tremor trim.
However, another turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 powertrain lies in the Ford stable, the PowerBoost. It gets that name because it uses hybrid technology. The PowerBoost ups peak outputs to 430 horsepower and 570 lb.-ft of torque. Moreover, it still mates to a 10-speed automatic transmission and happily works with Ford’s 4×4 drivetrain.
I know that because I reviewed one. Ford sells this engine in the Expedition’s cousin, the F-150.
Why no expedition hybrid?
Since Ford builds the Expedition from the same frame as the F-150, it seems an easy fit, too. And it’s a seemingly popular powertrain in the truck. Ford states that 10 percent of F-150 sales are hybrid and that the figure rose 28 percent in the first half of 2023. That trend continued in 2024, with a hybrid sales record in April. Not to mention the attraction of a lower fuel bill for large families that purchase large SUVs. So, why not?
Perhaps there’s a bit of a packaging conundrum. Battery packs take up space, which is a bit more precious in a family hauler. But that seems a minor obstacle to overcome. Maybe cost? Then again, top-of-the-line Expeditions will likely flirt with six figures for 2025 (we do not yet know), going hybrid sounds incremental at most.
The most likely real cause is simply that Ford will offer a Hybrid Expedition, with engineers currently working out the bugs to implement it. I hope so. It seems a relatively easy and low cost way to attract more folks to consider rolling in a body-on-frame, three-row SUV with gargantuan space and the ability to tow nearly 10,000 lbs.
What if it also achieved mid-twenties miles per gallon figures instead of between 17-19 MPG combined? Sounds enticing to me.
