Ford Will Discontinue The 3.0-Liter Power Stroke Diesel For F-150

When Ford introduced their first-ever hybrid powertrain for the F-150 it was well received and quickly became a popular option. It also meant the writing was on the wall for the 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel engine. I wrote last year that Ford was likely not to produce this engine as part of the 14th-generation F-150. That didn’t quite happen as Ford did launch the smaller Power Stroke engine with the redesigned 14th-generation F-150.

However, Ford has officially announced that the 3.0-liter Power Stroke will be discontinued after July 16 according to Dawn McKenzie, Ford Trucks Communications. McKenzie said that deliveries will take place through late this the year for trucks ordered with this engine, but that it will be phased out soon.

Why Did Ford Get Rid of the 3.0-liter Power Stroke Diesel?
The likely reason, as is the case with most things, is lack of sales. And while the small turbo diesel engine had merit and was great for fuel economy and extra low-end torque for towing, when Ford introduced the hybrid Power Boost powertrain, it made the merit of the small Power Stroke practically obsolete.

Prior to the hybrid, sales of this engine were waning anyway, which led to speculation that it would be discontinued.

McKenzie confirmed all of this when she told me, “Our customers overwhelmingly order our EcoBoost V6 gasoline engines. For customers who need maximum towing torque, we now offer the F-150 PowerBoost as the ideal combination of capability, power and fuel efficiency, which wasn’t available when Power Stroke was introduced.”

Comparing the Power Stroke Diesel to the Hybrid Powerboost
A quick glance at the performance numbers between the 3.0-liter Power Stroke and the 3.5-liter Powerboost Hybrid shows quite a difference between the engines. And in this case, the clear-cut edge goes to the Hybrid Powerboost.

The 3.0-liter Power Stroke makes 250 horsepower and 440 lb.-ft. of torque which is not bad for a small engine. But the 3.5-liter Powerboost makes 430 horsepower and 570 lb.-ft. of torque. Also, the hybrid powertrain gets slightly better fuel economy than the Power Stroke. Clearly there’s no comparison between these two.

Plus with the Powerboost you can get the Pro-On Board generator in one of three configurations to add further powering boost and options. In short, Ford made the small Power Stroke quickly obsolete with the hybrid innovation.

A Truck For Every Customer
When Ford introduced the 2018 Ford F-150 with a 3.0-liter Power Stroke turbocharged diesel, it was marketed under a smart and savvy campaign entitled: “A Truck For Every Customer”. And really, that’s what the 3.0-liter Power Stroke represented (briefly).

Sure it’s a response/reaction to Ram’s EcoDiesel pickup that they launched, but the baby Power Stroke had a lot of merit too.

“For every truck owner who craves strong fuel economy while they tow and haul, we have a new 3.0L Power Stroke V6 that dreams are made of,” said Dave Filipe, vice president global powertrain engineering when the engine was launched. “The more you tow and the longer you haul, the more you’ll appreciate its class-leading towing and payload capacity and how efficient it is at the pump.”

Remaining Engine Options for 2021 Ford F-150
With the elimination of the Power Stroke, Ford offers five engine variants still for the 2021 F-150. The five remaining engines are: 3.3-liter Duratec V6, 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6, 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6, 3.5-liter PowerBoost Hybrid V6, and the 5.0-liter V8.

And, of course, Ford will launch the all-electric F-150 Lightning next year to offer a sixth powertrain option.

Related story: Ford confirms 100,000 reservations for F-150 Lightning.

The trend is clear that boosted V6s are the favored powertrain at Ford, along with the hybrid variant of the Ecoboost. The popularity of these engines is obvious.

“We don’t share sales numbers by engine, but the 3.5-liter EcoBoost is our most popular, closely followed by the 2.7-liter EcoBoost,” McKenzie said.

There hasn’t been any speculation about eliminating any other engine variants but if one of the remaining five were to be eliminated when the Lightning arrives, it’d be the 3.3-liter Duratec V6. That engine could meet the same fate as the short-lived 3.0-liter baby Power Stroke.

What do you think about this decision? Did you like the small diesel engine? Leave me your comment below.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.