No announcement has been made as to which platforms will be targeted, but both companies will need to greatly improve the fuel economy of their pickup and sport utility vehicles leading in to the 2025 model year, when the United States’ Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard is slated to hit 54.5 mpg. Toyota already manufactures the most popular hybrid in the United States, the Prius, and Ford plans to triple its hybrid output to more than 100,000 vehicles per year by 2013.

Currently, both Ford and Toyota employ similar hybrid architectures in vehicles like the Prius and Ford Fusion hybrid, but both are tailored toward front-wheel drive sedans and smaller crossover SUVs. In order to provide the added power needed to produce a towing capacity found in vehicles like the Toyota Tundra or Ford F-150, the carmakers will need to develop a new, rear-wheel drive hybrid system.

As Toyota vice president Takeshi Uchiyamada said today, sales of heavier vehicles—which currently lack in hybrid options—show no signs of slowing down. “Those kinds of models are indispensable to American customers,” said Uchiyamada.

Due in part to built-in demand from commercial buyers like contractors and commercial fleets, the best-selling vehicle in the United States continues to be the Ford F-150 pickup truck, despite the recent uptick in gas prices. In order to satisfy federal fuel-economy requirements, makers of popular light-duty models will need to improve the efficiency of their most fuel-thirsty vehicles.

F-150 buyers appear to already be eager for fuel economy. Since Ford introduced a V6 EcoBoost model of the truck this year it has led all F-150 models in sales, accounting for 40 percent of purchases, thanks in part to its EPA-rated 22 mpg in fuel economy.

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The F-150 is E85 capable with its larger engine offering, a 5.4-liter V8, and only in a 2WD configuration. Like the Chevy Silverado, it too enjoys towing capacity of up to 10,500 pounds, but it moves more sluggishly than expected. In high-rev situations, the engine seems to be working significantly harder than that of the Silverado to get the same job accomplished. But just as in the flex-fuel Silverado, the F-150’s E85 capability does result in emissions which are cleaner than those of gasoline engines.

The F-150 offers multiple cab and bed configurations and an interior that is attractive, comfortable, and upgradeable with a large roster of amenities ranging from navigation to leather upholstery to a premium sound system. Two short comings that keep it from becoming an extremely well-rounded passenger vehicle are its lack of available side curtain airbags, and its shortage of interior storage space.

The Ford F-150’s powertrain warranty extends to 5 years/60,000 miles.

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Autodealer Adam Lee writes in an Automotive News op-ed, “The trucks that the Detroit 3 bet their – and my – future on are not selling.” Sales of pick-up trucks are falling, despite record discounts and incentives. The average discount on a Dodge Ram is $6,000, up $500 since January, according to the Power Information Network. These are the same customer incentives that kept the number of SUV unit sales high while SUV revenue and profits were eroding since 2001.

But pickup truck owners are a different, more loyal breed, according to automaker lore. They want their size, power and don’t care about fuel economy. Turns out the lore and lure are gone. Turns out pick-up owners are just like the rest of us. They don’t want to spend $100 filling up their tank, especially with a slumping housing market and fewer jobs to be had.

What does this mean? The industry’s favorite product is vulnerable not because Congress is about to increase fuel economy standards, but because pickup buyers have already increased their fuel economy requirements, and the industry didn’t want to believe it.

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