Mulally’s F-150 Weight-Cut Long Shot Seen Within Reach
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Ford Motor Co.’s plan for F-Series pickups to lose as much as 750 pounds seemed like a long shot when the company said it was putting its entire lineup on a diet in 2011. The version of its best-selling truck that’s debuting next week should weigh in close to the goal.
Under Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally, trained as an aeronautical engineer, Ford designers have mirrored planemakers in using aluminum components to take an estimated 700 pounds (318 kilograms) out of the four-door, crew-cab F-150, according to consultant Ducker Worldwide. Aluminum will represent about 20 percent of the pickup’s weight, up from about 5 percent to 6 percent today, said Richard Schultz, a Ducker managing director.