2016 Ford F-150 regains gaseous prep package

The truck features a 5-litre V8 engine and can be set up as a dedicated or bi-fuel vehicle running on either CNG (compressed natural gas) or LPG autogas. According to Ford, the gaseous prep pack was reinstated because 72 percent of buyers wanted it. And they wanted it specifically with the V8 engine – the 2014 prep pack F-150 was offered with a 3,7-litre V6 unit.

© FordBack in the picture and more powerful than before - the LPG-/CNG-ready 2016 Ford F-150

The engine prep alone costs 315 dollars, but complete conversions, carried out by Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifiers (QVM), cost from 7500 to 13000 dollars, depending on the type of fuel chosen and capacity of tanks used. There are six QVM partner companies (Altech-Eco, IMPCO Automotive, Landi Renzo USA, Roush CleanTech, Venchurs Vehicle Systems and Westport), altogether offering 36 locations where conversions can be completed.

As Ford estimates, 70 percent of gaseous prep package-equipped vehicles are converted to run on CNG or LPG immediately and delivered to customers ready to run on either of the alternative fuels. Another 20 percent get converted within 12 months of original purchase, which means 10 percent never get to taste CNG or LPG. Apparently they are bought with the prep pack "just in case”, but remain full-time monofuel petrol cars.

With the addition of the 2016 F-150 pick-up truck, Ford now has eight vehicles available with gaseous prep packages, including, apart from the F-150 itself:

• Transit Connect (2,5-litre inline-4 engine);
• Transit (3,7-litre V6);
• E-Series cutaway and stripped chassis (5,4-litre V8 and 6,8-litre V10);
• F-250/F-350 Super Duty (6,2-litre V8);
• F-450/F-550 Super Duty (6,8-litre V10);
• F-53/F-59 stripped chassis (6,8-litre V10);
• F-650/F-750 chassis cab (6,8-litre V10).