XL Hybrids plug-in F-150 attracting more fleets

XL Hybrids’ XLP Ford F-150 will be available during the fourth quarter of 2017.XL Hybrids’ XLP Ford F-150 will be available during the fourth quarter of 2017.

XL Hybrids announced today that more fleet customers are committing to buy its XLP plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) upfit solution for Ford F-150 pickup trucks.

XL Hybrids Fleet-Ready technology is the industry’s first ship-thru upfit on half-ton pickup trucks from a leading OEM. XLP will provide a 50 percent improvement in miles driven per gallon for major fleets across the U.S., as well as significant reductions in CO2 emissions, according to XL Hybrids.

“Our plug-in hybrid technology is an upfit on the reliable, road-tested and popular Ford F-150,” said Clay Siegert, XL Hybrids’ co-founder and chief operating officer. “With the OEM powertrain intact, fleet customers will maintain OEM warranty and service. Those are two of the benefits of XLP and the reason major fleets are placing order commitments to be among the first to get this PHEV pickup truck.”

Three of the latest companies that intend to add XLP F-150s to their fleet include the City of Long Beach, Calif., Southern California Edison (SCE), and Tampa Electric (TECO). They join previously announced customers NV Energy, DTE Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (which signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase 110 units), Liberty Utilities and Hawaiian Electric Company, all of which will be accepting XLP ship-thru deliveries beginning fourth quarter 2017.

XLP technology will be installed in 2017 and 2018 Ford F-150 pickups with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine and Ford’s Auto Stop-Start technology. XLP will also be available for the upcoming 2018 Ford F-150 pickup with the new 3.3-liter base engine featuring Ford’s Auto Stop-Start technology. XLP is compatible with a range of wheelbases, cab and bed configurations.

Installation of the XLP PHEV system can be completed in just hours on half-ton pickup trucks as a Ford ship-thru upfit. Featuring a volume-production ready high voltage lithium battery pack, XLP will accommodate full charging overnight with Level 1 and less than three hours for Level 2 charging using an industry-standard J1772 plug interface.

XLP technology leaves the OEM engine, transmission, fuel system and exhaust system completely intact. Fleets will maintain the complete OEM warranty and get a three-year, 75,000-mile warranty from XL Hybrids on the XLP powertrain. The XLP system will have no special maintenance requirements.

XLP will also include the XL Link cloud-based big data analytics system, which measures MPG performance and reports carbon dioxide emissions reductions. The proprietary XL Link vehicle connectivity is a continuous data link from every vehicle, collecting millions of operational data points, allowing analysis and reports on key performance indicators.