The Ford F150 is getting a new feature that ties into the truck’s touchscreen and rear taillight.
The 2021 F150 can convert the truck bed into an ‘onboard scale.’ When you load up the bed of the truck the touchscreen will display the general weight of those items in the form of a scale display. A bar graph also appears on the pickup’s taillights and in the FordPass app. The idea behind Onboard Scales is the truck has a weight capacity of 1,765 to 3,325 pounds (depending on the model) so users can now be sure they are not overloaded.
The bar graph is compared to that of a smartphone, showing battery life. It includes four bars. If the fourth bar illuminates you are near the truck’s maximum payload. If it starts blinking you may be overloaded.
The Car Connection said the touchscreen display will turn red and show an alert that the limit has been exceeded.
The screen, taillight and Ford app also provide a read out for a new Smart Hitch feature on the 2021 F150. Just like the payload weight, it can be difficult to calculate towing capacity. There’s a rule about how much force the trailer tongue should place on the hitch. The general rule is 10 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight (trailer plus its contents). The Car Connection says if you have a 2,000 pound boat and a 1,000 pound trailer that totals up to 3,000 pounds, and at 15 percent, the tongue weight is 450 pounds. Ford now does the calculations for you with graphic read outs.
Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch are bundled together and can be ordered in June at a price to be announced.
Sources: The Car Connection, Autoblog
