How Soon Can We Expect an Electric Ford Maverick?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It’s not exactly a long shot to assume that an electric Ford Maverick compact pickup truck is coming. This is the first pickup truck with a standard hybrid powertrain. Plus, Ford announced the coming of a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning next spring. So how soon can we expect an Electric Ford Maverick? 

2022 Ford Maverick | Ford Motor Company

Overall, there are too many reasons an electric Maverick makes sense. It’s ludicrous at this point to believe that it’s not on the horizon. Other sources like MotorTrend agree, even going so far as to render images of how it might look stylistically. 

Is the Ford Maverick electric? 

Well, yes and no. Technically its base engine is electrified. But it doesn’t offer a plug-in hybrid or a fully electric powertrain. Yet. 

The 2022 Ford Maverick base engine is a 2.5 liter fulltime hybrid paired with a continuously variable transmission. The fuel economy puts the true compact pickup truck in a league of its own. According to Ford, the EPA estimates that the engine in this true compact pickup truck will get up to 40 mpg on the highway, 33 mpg in the city, and 37 mpg combined. 

Even compared to the other new compact pickup truck that debuted this year, that’s excellent. The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is another ute we in North America are looking forward to. But this truck doesn’t (yet) offer any electrified/hybrid powertrains. 

A silver 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz parked on asphalt in a desert with mountains in the distance
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz | Hyundai Motor America

The EPA estimates the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz  to get 22 mpg in the city, 27 on the highway, and 23 mpg combined––quite a far cry from the hybrid 2022 Ford Maverick’s fuel economy. The 2022 Ford Maverick hasn’t announced a fully electrified version yet. However, it’s probably coming. 

Will it copy the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning? 

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning parked in front of buildings
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | Ford

MotorTrend’s renderings show the hypothetical fully-electric Ford Maverick taking design cues from its larger pickup sibling, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. In fact, the renderings even badge it with the word “Lightning.” It won’t surprise us if the future electric version of the Maverick gets a Lightning badge. 

However, there’s really no way to know for sure how Ford Media will decide to market an electric Ford Maverick compact pickup truck. For now, buyers and fans can just get excited about the 2022 Ford Maverick in all its hybrid compact pickup truck glory. Future versions may copy the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and they may not. We will just have to wait and see. 

When will the electric Ford Maverick come out? 

A 2021 Ford Maverick small hybrid pickup truck.
The 2021 Ford Maverick | Via Ford

This is another question that’s really just a guessing game. The all-new 2021 Ford F-150 generation released earlier this year and the 2022 F-150 Lightning reveal came soon after. So if an electric version of the 2022 Ford Maverick compact pickup truck is coming in the next year or two, we can reasonably expect to see some news about it in the near future. 

“The Maverick product proposition is like nothing else out there. It’s a great-looking truck featuring four doors with room for five adults, a standard full-hybrid engine with city fuel economy that beats a Honda Civic”

Ford Media

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This Safety Feature Could Prevent Hundreds of Thousands of Accidents

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It’s no secret that front crash prevention is a safety feature that could reduce the likelihood of getting into a crash. Yet not many people realize just how much it can help. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that in 2013 alone, there would have been 700,000 fewer rear-end crashes that required a police report if all cars had been equipped with front crash prevention. 

A Subaru Outback is crash-tested | IIHS

What is front crash prevention?

Front crash prevention includes any safety features which are designed to prevent front collisions. Front crash prevention may be forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking at both low speeds (designed for the city) and high speeds (designed for the highway). Pedestrian detection is also used to measure accidents involving pedestrians. This particular IIHS study looked at collisions between cars. 

Front crash prevention systems may also use radar and/or lidar sensors, which send radio and light waves out to measure the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles or objects around it. Some vehicles are coming with cameras, too. Recently Tesla began testing camera-only based systems in their Model 3 and Model Y cars. The IIHS just tested this camera-only based system and found it to be effective. 

How many accidents do forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking prevent?

The IIHS study found that these advanced safety systems can prevent hundreds of thousands of accidents. That 700,000 fewer car accidents mentioned above accounts for 13% of all police-reported car accidents in 2013. Altogether, that’s a pretty significant number of accidents to keep from happening. 

The study found that automatic emergency braking reduced the likelihood of a rear end crash by 50%. The likelihood of a rear end crash involving injuries was reduced by 56% when cars were equipped with automatic emergency braking. 

Forward collision warning reduced the likelihood of a rear end accident by 27%, and also the chances of a rear end accident with injuries by 20%. 

How many vehicles are equipped with front crash prevention?

More and more car manufacturers are making advanced safety systems like front crash prevention standard in their vehicles. Acura has made both forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking standard in the ILX and RDX. Audi has also made both of these standard in most of their vehicles, but not all. High speed automatic emergency braking is optional in some models. 

Ford has also made these advanced safety systems standard in most of its 2021 vehicles as well, though it’s only optional in some, so make sure you check before you buy. Honda is also making these safety systems standard in most of their vehicles. 

As big car manufacturer names make these types of safety features standard, other car manufacturers are also likely to follow suit. 

As this happens, consumers have more, safer choices, and it’s moving toward being the norm in cars. Of course, this means the roads will be safer for everyone. The next time you’re car shopping, pay attention to what safety features your potential car comes with.  

RELATED: The Deadly Mistake You May Make All the Time

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2022 Ferrari 296 GTB vs. 2021 Ferrari F8: Is Newer Better?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Ferrari is famous for making some of the fastest and most expensive cars in the world, and that’s a reputation the Italian automaker has worked hard to maintain. For example, the 2021 Ferrari F8 is already a beast, yet the Prancing Horse recently unleashed an even newer supercar: the 2022 296 GTB. Here’s a look at which of these two fierce Ferraris is better. 

The power of the 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB

2022 Ferrari 296 GTB | Ferrari

The 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB represents a step toward a new age for the automaker. The Prancing Horse’s new model sports a hybrid powertrain, a rarity for Ferrari’s street-legal cars. It packs a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, an electric motor, and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The combo harnesses a combined 818 hp, Car and Driver reports.

The 296 GTB, which Ferrari revealed in late June, won’t be available until 2022. That said, although its price is unknown right now, Car and Driver estimates it’ll start at about $250,000. It won’t be the most expensive production Ferrari by far (that distinction goes to the new SF90). For comparison, the F8 starts at about $280,000. When all is said and done, the two models practically cost the same.

Comparing and contrasting these 2 Ferrari supercars

Off the bat, the most obvious difference between these two Ferrari models is their powertrains. After all, the 296 GTB is a plug-in hybrid, while the F8 has a traditional powertrain. That said, the 296 GTB actually beats the F8 in horsepower. The F8’s 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 produces about 710 hp, Car and Driver reports. That’s a whole 108 hp less than the 296 GTB’s 818 hp.

However, the PHEV carries a 7.45-kWh battery pack, adding some weight to the car. Regardless, the 296 GTB is still lightning-fast, zipping from 0 to 60 mph in about 2.9 seconds and boasting a top speed of over 205 mph, Motor Authority reports.

Meanwhile, the F8 is similar in performance. Car and Driver says the F8 can roar from 0 to 60 mph in about 2.8 seconds and top out at 211 mph, slightly faster than the 296 GTB. But, of course, because the latter is a PHEV, it’ll be more environmentally friendly than the F8. Obviously, most Ferrari owners aren’t penny-pinching over fuel costs, but some might prefer the 296 GTB’s 15-mile electric-only range.

So, which model is better?

The main unknown for the 296 GTB right now is how it drives. Ferrari has made a point to talk about all of the car’s advanced handling features and how fun it is to drive. But until reviewers get their hands on the steering wheel, this factor will remain a mystery.

Regardless, it seems the 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB will be a better car than the F8 overall. The automaker has clearly done its homework, and the 296 GTB isn’t a Prius by any means. It’s a Ferrari first and foremost. And based on the numbers, it’s a worthy successor to the F8. Of course, some enthusiasts won’t like the idea of a hybrid supercar to begin with, but times are changing, and so is Ferrari.

RELATED: Prepare to Spend Over $500,000 for the Most Expensive 2021 Ferrari

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Inspiration: Let’s All Run 12-Cylinder Tank Engines in Our Cars Like This

by Gabrielle DeSantis

GM would love to instill the same throat grab a 12-cylinder Crown Vic like the one shown here has into its GMC Hummer. But the only way that could happen would be if the Hummer came with a V-12 like the tank engine in this hacked Ford. Otherwise, the association is never going to happen. The Hummer is just so much weak sauce. 

The world would be a better place with insane 12-cylinder engine swaps

Twin-turbo V12 tank engine in Ford Crown Vic | YouTube

So let’s all convert our Teslas, Leafs, and Bolts, into 12-cylinder marauding end-of-times mayhem. If it is a bit extreme for you, at least check out this Ford Crown Vic project. It has received a turbocharged V12 engine out of a tank. 

As American as stuffing a Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 tank engine into a derelict police car is, this comes courtesy of Sweden. So the inspiration is pure American as is the former Stockton Police Department Crown Vic. The engine is pure Brit, and the build is happening in Sweden. It’s an international effort of epic proportions!

To make room for a 12-cylinder tank engine a lot of heap needed hacking

Twin turbo V12 tank engine in Ford Crown Vic
Twin-turbo V12 tank engine in Ford Crown Vic | YouTube

With 27-liters of turbocharged tank engine, you have to make some room. This old Ford got hacked to make it all fit, including cutting way into the cowl. In fact, the cowl starts roughly in the middle of the Meteor. 

With the floor absent, note the massive square tubing necessary to contain this monster motor. It weighs as much as the rest of the Crown Vic. There needed to be something a bit more stout to handle the roughly 600 hp and the massive weight of the V12. The original Police Interceptor engine was only good for less than half the horsepower. 

But 600 hp isn’t that impressive anymore. So twin Borg Warner S500X turbochargers will aid in increasing the piston push. And with 30 pounds of boost, the power estimate has risen to around 2,500 hp. That’s more like it!

A custom engine installation requires custom components and fabrication

Twin turbo V12 tank engine in Ford Crown Victoria
Twin-turbo V12 tank engine in Ford Crown Vic | YouTube

A lot of custom fabrication is involved in insanity like this. Note that the adapter plate mating the TH400 Turbo automatic transmission to the 12-cylinder engine is an inch thick. Also, a custom ECU-that’s a computer to you and me, will help to control spark, timing, and airflow. 

The vid provided shows the maiden running of the engine in the Vic’s chassis. You’ll note that the tuning of the engine all takes place on the laptop. And the turbos are not connected at this juncture. That will supposedly happen in the next video. 

But watching this beast come to life is what this vid is all about. That, and imagining your own crazy project stuffing something never meant for your car application into an almost worthless heap. It’s hot rod hedonism and caviar dreams wrapped in a police car package. The world should be full of these pursuits. 

RELATED: Last Ford Highway Patrol Crown Vic Gets Dumped

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