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We've all heard of bi-fuel, but this monster pick-up truck is a tri-fuel model: its supercharged V10 engine can run on hydrogen, conventional petrol or E85 fuel (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol).
In hydrogen mode, when the supercharger kicks in, its fuel economy is improved by up to 12% and its carbon dioxide emissions are cut by 99%, though torque is upped to 400lb ft. It has a range of 500 miles between fill-ups.
The engine can be switched seamlessly between hydrogen and either E85 or petrol, though changing back to hydrogen again can only be done at idle.
Ford is already producing bi-fuel petrol/E85 vehicles, but such a hydrogen-compatible unit is still a good couple of years off full production.
But it's not only the engine of this vehicle that points to Ford's future intentions: expect the styling of this concept to influence Ford's upcoming new pick-up trucks, especially in terms of cabin design. For all that the Super Chief name is a nod to the past - the Super Chief trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway, with their blunt front ends, provided the name - it's a sign of things to come.
Pick-up truck buyers - or at least, those not opting out to buy more economical, smaller vehicles - are demanding more and more items of luxury equipment and ever more power and performance from their vehicles. The F-250 Super Chief aims to take this trend a stage further. The show truck features LED headlights, a full-length glass roof, automated arm-rests and a wood'n'leather-trimmed cabin and load bay area, as well as 24-inch wheels. Its six-foot load bay has doors to the passenger compartment, which is also accessed via two pairs of clamshell-opening "suicide" doors, the rear pair rear-hinged.
In keeping with the Super Chief's image as a truck with a conscience, safety has been an important consideration, including the truck's impact on other, smaller vehicles. It showcases Ford's new Blockerbeam system, which has a frontal bracket-type structure designed to bend, absorb energy from the impact, and stop a low-down little car from sliding under it. The Big Chief's occupants are also protected by seatbelt warning systems reminding them to belt up and telling the driver which rear-seat passengers are unbelted. With so many deaths in large SUVs and trucks - which are more prone to rolling over than lower-riding cars - attributed to the failure to wear a seatbelt, this is an important addition.
