Your Local Truck Experts in Ephrata PA
Hey everyone, welcome back to the blog here at Mark Martin Motors. If you live anywhere near 4126 Oregon Pike in Ephrata, PA, or if you are taking a drive from Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Baltimore, or anywhere within a few hours of Lancaster County, you already know how seriously we take our pickup trucks around here.
Today we are taking a closer look at the 2025 Ford F-150 PowerBoost. The hybrid truck market has been growing fast, and this specific rig has a lot of people talking. But is it actually the right truck for your driveway? I have a 2025 sitting right here on the lot, and after spending some time with it, I want to break down five things I absolutely love about this hybrid setup, and five things that I honestly hate. Let us get right into it.
The 5 Things I Love About the F-150 PowerBoost
Built In Bed Generators
The first thing I love is the optional generator built right into the bed of the truck. You can get up to 7.2 kW of power back there. Ford offers three different generator options, and everything is controlled straight through your infotainment center in the cab. I have seen guys running their entire houses off these generators during a power outage. You can run pellet smokers at a tailgate, or power your tools on a job site. It is freaking incredible that they have that technology available right in the bed of these trucks.
Crazy Horsepower and Torque
Point number two is the performance. Most times when you hear hybrid or EV tech, you probably think the truck is going to be a total dog that just gets good fuel economy. That is not the case with the PowerBoost. Because it combines the internal combustion engine with the battery assistance, it generates 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque. It is an absolute rocket ship when you hit the gas.
Awesome Fuel Economy
Point number three goes hand in hand with the power. Even with all that crazy horsepower and torque, you get a truck that has a combined fuel economy of 23 miles per gallon. If you compare that to the normal 3.5 EcoBoost which gets about 19 combined MPG, that is a fantastic improvement. Getting very good fuel mileage paired with that kind of power is super impressive for a full-size truck.
An Affordable Engine Upgrade
Point number four is the price tag. Upgrading to the PowerBoost engine is actually a really affordable option. You can add this hybrid engine setup for just $1,300. On the XLT, which is probably the best-selling trim level on an F-150, that $1,300 gets you way more horsepower, better torque, and better fuel economy. It is a great bang for your buck.
You Never Have to Plug It In
Point number five is the convenience factor. I love that you do not have to plug these trucks in. It is not a plug-in hybrid. The battery actually regenerates on braking while you are driving it. That means less headache for you and one less thing you have to remember to do at the end of the day, which I personally love.
The 5 Things I Hate About the F-150 PowerBoost
The Clunky EV Transition
Now for the stuff I do not like. The first thing I hate is the transition from gas to EV mode. When you are driving these trucks, switching between the two power sources is super clunky. It just is not smooth at all, and it is definitely something Ford needs to work on and improve. If you are buying one, I would want to make sure I have a really good warranty on it just to be safe.
Scary Out of Warranty Battery Costs
The second thing I hate is the anxiety of owning this truck once it is outside of its warranty window. Eventually, you will have to worry about replacing that hybrid battery, and you are probably talking $10,000 to $12,000. So, in addition to the normal engine maintenance, you have something else that is basically going to cost as much as a whole new engine to replace down the road.
Lower Towing Capacity
The third thing I hate is how the hybrid system affects your towing capability. Because the truck actually weighs more due to the battery and the EV components, your towing capacity drops. The max towing capacity on this PowerBoost is only 11,200 pounds. The standard 3.5 EcoBoost can tow up to 13,500 pounds, so you are losing over 2,300 pounds of capability. If you need to tow a ton of weight around Pennsylvania, you are not going to be able to do it with this truck. You will need the normal 3.5 EcoBoost.
Missing That Classic Truck Sound
Point number four is the exhaust note. In my opinion, these trucks just do not sound like a pickup truck should. When you look at the standard 3.5 EcoBoost or the high-output EcoBoost, Ford did a lot of work to make those engines sound good and aggressive. The PowerBoost just lacks that classic sound that I love to hear in a pickup truck.
Short Trips Drain the Battery
Point number five is a frustrating quirk. The battery will not get fully charged if you only take the truck on short trips around town. You really have to get this thing out on longer drives. A big issue people have had is that their batteries are not charging enough on short commutes, and then the truck ends up throwing error codes or the sensors start acting up because the battery lacks juice. It is a great system until it is not, so you really need to be driving these trucks a lot in order for that battery to properly recharge.
Watch the Full F-150 PowerBoost Breakdown
If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the F-150 PowerBoost, you can watch the full video below. And if you are ever cruising down Oregon Pike in Ephrata, be sure to stop by Mark Martin Motors and check out our inventory.