2023 Ford Tremendous Obligation now delivery, having handed new Zero Defect exams

Ford opened order books for the brand new 2023 F-Sequence Tremendous Obligation vans final October, piling up 150,000 pre-orders in 5 weeks. After anticipating to get vans into buyer fingers earlier this yr, the heavyweight pickup variations of the heavyweight gross sales champion have solely simply began delivery to prospects in all trims. The delay is solid as mandatory evil to create a permanent good; Ford is dedicated to getting this launch proper in order that it would not hand again Tremendous Obligation earnings for guarantee prices and recollects. Ford CEO Jim Farley has talked lots this yr in regards to the automaker’s deal with high quality enchancment, the Tremendous Obligation is the primary demonstrator.

The corporate applied Zero Defect processes on the Louisville Meeting Plant and Ohio Meeting Plant that construct the truck. In Kentucky, the place greater than 9,000 staff are concerned in Tremendous Obligation manufacturing, the whole thing of the Zero Defect enhancements are mentioned to take three hours per automobile, a gauntlet that features round 40 cameras to date and will in the end rely 100 cameras, plus quite a lot of robots in addition to worker coaching to vet video and analyze information on builds. A contingent of 350 high quality inspectors test each truck off the road, together with driving each unit 25 miles to search for potential points that escaped scrutiny.

All of this comes after a revised prototype testing course of. Ford tripled the variety of vans used for tow testing and almost quadrupled the fleet used for endurance testing. Engineers centered on high-mileage runs, and as a substitute of conducting sure challenges to a mileage quantity, vans have been run till components broke so Ford may discover the weak spots. Earlier this yr, Ford mentioned an worker on the road discovered a hood alignment subject that was inside spec however {that a} buyer won’t have been pleased about. Engineers revised the alignment. The automaker would find yourself stopping manufacturing for 3 weeks to handle each element. Farley mentioned, “We fastened dozens of high quality points. We haven’t at all times finished that as an organization.”

The brand new truck provides three engines. A brand new 6.8-liter naturally aspirated V8 gasoline engine is the usual mill, a downsized model of the 7.3-liter naturally aspirated Godzilla V8, making 405 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. These figures add 20 hp and 15 lb-ft to the output for the retired 6.2-liter. The up to date 7.3-liter now makes 430 hp and 485 lb-ft., representing the identical pony rely however ten extra pound-feet. The Energy Stroke possibility is a 6.7-liter V8 oil-burner in two outputs. The bottom output is 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft, identical as in 2022. The brand new high-output trim makes 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft. All engines are paired with a 10-speed automated.