How Ford is Making the F-150 More Eco-Friendly
The 2021 Ford F-150 is more environmentally friendly than ever before. Not only did Ford invest and produce a hybrid power train, the 3.5L PowerBoost, but they’re also making a difference by making the 2021 F-150 owner’s manual digital. Ford claims the change to making the owner’s manual digital results in a reduction of paper use by up to 290 tons of paper every year. Here are some interesting stats on how significant a reduction of 290 tons of paper per year truly is.
290 Tons Of Paper Equates To:
- The weight of 122 average Ford F-150 trucks
- A stack of paper 18,000 feet tall.
How to Access It
The 2021 Ford F-150’s owner manual will be accessible via the center touchscreen display found on all models. It will have a search function capability and you’ll have access to streamed videos and other content. For those of us that are technology inclined, finding information on your F-150 has never been easier. All the information on the new 2021 F-150 is at your fingertips.
Why We Like The 2021 Ford F-150 Digital Owner’s Manual
Good For The Environment
It goes without saying that most people consider any effort to be more environmentally conscious is a good thing. I love that Ford is making an effort to make a positive environmental impact on the planet. A lot of consumers also trend that way, as many climate activists consider climate change to be public enemy number one. Even myself as someone who is traditionally very conservative can see the value in protecting our great planet. As someone who enjoys the outdoors, I firmly believe we should do everything we can to make sure future generations can enjoy our planet as much as we have.
Good For Secondary Owners
If you’ve ever purchased a used truck, your vehicle probably doesn’t have an owner’s manual inside. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had purchased a truck that lacked an owner’s manual and all the crucial information that is found inside. I’ve even lost Owner’s Manuals on trucks I purchased new. This new digital format will make sure you always have access, even if you’re the second or third owner, and that you will never lose it.
Find What You Need Faster
Another huge plus is that the digital owner’s manual has a search capability that can drastically reduce your time searching for something specific. Instead of skimming pages, or trying to use the glossary or index, you can simply search the topic you’re looking for.
What We Don’t Like
Functionality
An owner’s manual on any vehicle provides crucial information. It includes proper procedures on a variety of service tasks, maintenance information, and even how to use different vehicle features. I haven’t seen the display in person yet, but I do have some usability concerns. Now, let’s say you’re using the owner’s manual Function on the display to learn how to change settings on the display. You can’t do it simultaneously, so you will have to either have a good memory and remember the steps to take, or look up the owner’s manual on your phone from Ford’s website to change settings as you read the directions.
Difficult For Less Tech-Savvy Owners
Anything digital can also be a problem for some of the old timers out there who didn’t grow up with technology like we have. Again, I haven’t seen the new 2021 Ford F-150 in person yet, but if it isn’t easily accessible or easy to find on the interphase, it could be problematic for older people. I also hope the manual itself is easy to navigate and topics can be found quickly. Let’s hope Ford is making it as easy as flipping through a book. There will be a condensed supplemental version of the owner’s manual that will be present on all models however. It’ll contain about 25% of the original manual’s content, but it will contain vital information like how to properly jumpstart the vehicle in the event that the vehicle is dead or unusable.
Find out more about the 2021 Ford F-150
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