--- title: "Wait. Why haven’t we seen a diesel hybrid truck?" url: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/02/wait-why-havent-we-seen-a-diesel-hybrid-truck/" publisher: "Pickup Truck + SUV Talk" content_signal: "search=yes, ai-input=yes, ai-train=no" author: "Erica Mueller" published: "2021-02-12T16:00:39+00:00" modified: "2026-01-28T19:30:00+00:00" image: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/16_CMAX_AS42165_HYB_BadgeDet_mn.jpg" --- # Wait. Why haven’t we seen a diesel hybrid truck? By Erica Mueller Published: 2021-02-12T16:00:39+00:00 Updated: 2026-01-28T19:30:00+00:00 ![Featured image]() The minute Pickup Truck + SUV Talk Publisher Tim Esterdahl announced he’d bought a [2021 Ford F-150 hybrid truck](), people started to ask: What about a diesel hybrid truck? To answer this question, Tim asked his friend, Alan Schafer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, to share his thoughts on why we haven’t seen a diesel hybrid truck. ### **Where’s the diesel hybrid truck?** Alan says the likelihood of seeing one anytime soon is pretty slim. Think about it. A diesel engine is already an upgrade in a [light-duty truck](). To add on another layer of technology would result in a truck with an even higher price tag. When you think about how long it takes for your fuel savings to pay back the added cost of a diesel engine *plus* hybrid technology, you’re looking at several years, and for most buyers, it won’t be worth it. ### **Is it possible?** Of course! We see [hybrid diesel engines]() in city transit busses and construction equipment. The hybridization of these types of vehicles makes a lot of sense for the stop-and-go nature of a bus or backhoe. ### **But the fuel economy would rock!** Yes, it would be a cleaner truck with a better fuel economy, and in theory, it sounds good. But most people who buy a diesel truck are buying for torque and towing power, and a hybrid engine doesn’t really help with towing. In fact, the hybrid engine turns off for most highway driving and always for towing. Then you have the fact that batteries add to the weight of the truck, reducing the payload and towing capacity. ### **Are we going to lose light-duty trucks?** With the move toward zero-emission vehicles and companies like Dodge talking about dropping the Hellcat engine and [GM aiming for full-electric by 2035](), what happens to the light-duty diesel trucks that are so popular right now? Tim and Alan address this and a whole lot more in the video below. Watch it. Let us know what you think. [Embedded video]() **Related posts** > [Diesel vs. hybrid towing: Pitting the Chevy Silverado diesel against the Ford F-150 hybrid]() > [Why we haven’t seen a Silverado hybrid + other Chevy questions answered]() > [2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Details We Know]() ## Structured page information ~~~json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/02/wait-why-havent-we-seen-a-diesel-hybrid-truck/#article", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/02/wait-why-havent-we-seen-a-diesel-hybrid-truck/" }, "author": { "name": "Erica Mueller", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/person/28ea7673f6c33cc560979055b335c167" }, "headline": "Wait. 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