Hybrid drivetrains have become relatively common in most vehicle classes, but if you wanted a new full-size pickup truck with a gas-electric drivetrain, you didn’t have any choices until recently. Now, however, Ford offers a hybrid drivetrain in its F-150, and Toyota debuted a hybrid powertrain in its redesigned 2022 Tundra.
Related: 2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone: The Nicest Toyota Pickup You Can Buy
The Rides
Combined EPA fuel economy for four-wheel-drive versions of the Tundra hybrid and F-150 hybrid is 20 and 24 mpg, respectively, but when we had the chance to test the Tundra’s top Capstone trim level, which comes exclusively with the hybrid drivetrain, we thought it would be interesting to see how the truck’s real-world gas mileage compares with our 2021 F-150 Limited hybrid, which Cars.com has owned since giving the truck our Best of 2021 award.
The F-150 hybrid and Tundra hybrid drivetrains share a number of design similarities. Both trucks are powered by twin-turbocharged V-6 engines that work with 10-speed automatic transmissions with an integrated electric motor between the engine and transmission. They do, however, take different approaches with their hybrid battery technology, with the F-150 hybrid having a 1.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery versus the Tundra hybrid’s 1.87-kWh nickel-metal-hydride battery. Even so, total system output is similar: The F-150 hybrid makes 430 horsepower and 570 pounds-feet of torque, while the Tundra hybrid is rated at 437 hp and 583 pounds-feet.
The Route
For this test, we drove both trucks on a 200-mile route through northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The drive consisted of a mix of interstate highways, rural two-lane roads and suburban streets. We encountered some stop-and-go driving conditions during our trip, but traffic was moving most of the time, with the average speed for the entire trip coming in at 35 mph.