Ram introducing 1500 EcoDiesel HFE full-size pickup with 29 mpg highway
14 January 2015
The Ram Truck brand is adding a new, more fuel-efficient model to its half-ton truck lineup. The new 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE will deliver the highest highway fuel economy (29 mpg) among all current full-size truck competitors—12% higher than the next-closest, the aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150 2WD with 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost.
The “HFE” designation is Ram’s way of highlighting this model’s enhanced fuel efficiency. Ram EcoDiesel HFE carries an EPA-certified 29 mpg highway fuel economy rating (8.11 l/100 km). EcoDiesel HFE’s city and combined mpgs are 21 and 24, respectively (11.2 and 9.8 l/100 km), also highest among all pickups.
The EcoDiesel HFE features a unique trim package on the popular Ram 1500 Tradesman Quad Cab four-door body, with a 6-ft. 4-in. bed and 20-inch wheels. The Ram EcoDiesel also is available with a body-colored fascia adopted from the Ram Express model, which gives the Ram EcoDiesel HFE a sporty exterior appearance not offered on other EcoDiesel-powered Ram 1500s. Class-exclusive wheel-to-wheel side steps and a tri-fold tonneau cover offer greater functionality and best-in-class aerodynamics contributing to better fuel efficiency.
Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE models will also get a new HFE badge; the EcoDiesel HFE will go on sale late first quarter of 2015.
This compares the fuel efficiency of a diesel and petrol vehicle in pure number terms. Implicity assumes that a gallon of each are equivalent but they are not. Diesel is 12% denser and 13% higher energy density. So if you look at miles per pound then the Ram and F150 have pretty much the same fuel efficiency.
I bother to complain because people frequently complain about diesel being mor expensive than petrol when on an energy basis the reverse is true (in the UK at least). With the need to compare traditional fuels with electrical and hydrogen energy I'd hoped that this misconception would be sorted out but not yet.
Posted by: DavidJ | 14 January 2015 at 09:24 AM