Bill Pierre Ford

Tonneau covers are one of the most useful and practical truck modifications.  Bed covers have been changing since the introduction of the pickup truck, so there is no “first tonneau  cover” claimed by anyone, but the ancestry of both hard and soft tonneau  covers can be tracked back through their evolution. Soft tonneau  covers were made popular by various styles of on and off road racing, using the tonneau  to give the trucks better aerodynamic properties. Hard tonneau covers have become more popular recently thanks to advances in the developments in technology, and they have in many cases taken the place of bulky truck caps. Tonneau  covers vary in price and style, but all of them provide a measure of security  and style; aerodynamics and efficiency.

Regardless of the type chosen for your Ford, tonneau covers offering varying levels of security. Most hard tonneau covers offer some form of locking capacity, making it almost impossible to access the contents of the bed, but even a soft tonneau eliminates a thief’s ability to quickly grab anything in the bed of your truck. As the old adage goes, “Out of sight, out of mind”, and any type of truck tonneau cover shields your belongings from the world. Along with keeping the contents of the bed safe from theft, but many tonneau covers are designed to prevent rain or snow from making their way into the bed, and while no tonneau claims to be 100% water tight, most modern tonneau covers do a great job of keeping the contents of your bed dry in even the worst weather.

Tonneau covers add style to every truck, even if you don’t haul anything in your bed that you worry about having stolen or getting rained on,. The soft tonneau, typically in black vinyl is a lower price alternative and this tonneau comes in a variety of styles, such as the Extang Trifecta tonneau or the more traditional Truxedo Roll-up tonneau. The hard tonneau covers, typically made of fiberglass, offer the ability to paint them to match the vehicle. Models like the Lund Genesis Hinged Tonneau give the truck a cleaner, colorful look and the hinged design serves as an easy access tonneau cover.

Adding a tonneau makes the vehicle more aerodynamic, allowing for better fuel economy. There has long been a debate over what was the most aerodynamic bed option: open tailgate, closed tailgate, or tonneau cover. Wind tunnel testing has proven that it is better to have your tailgate up, but for best results, a soft or hard tonneau cover helps to battle the air turbulence created by the angle of the cab to the bed.
There are many different adaptations to the basic styles of tonneau covers from the many companies that specialize in tonneau covers. Offering different levels of security and style, a tonneau cover makes your bed safer and more useful for hauling.

The Ford F-150 is one of the world’s most popular pickup trucks, so it only makes sense to build a high-efficiency electric version out of one to demonstrate what the future of electric vehicles might look like. Built by PML Flightlink in collaboration with Ford, the electric Hi-Pa Drive Ford F-150 uses four in-wheel motors to power itself. When all four motors are powered on, they can deliver 600 hp.

The Hi-Pa Drive system replaces the mechanical drivetrain, gearbox, transmission, engine, exhaust, gas tank, and the differential with a 40kW battery and four in-wheel motors. Each motor weighs 66 lb and delivers over 150 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque at any speed. A generator recaptures more of the kinetic energy lost during braking than other hybrid technologies, according to project representatives.

The in-wheel motor is compact enough to fit in almost any space, whether it’s in the wheel, on standard bearings, or on dead axles. The light, compact nature of the Hi-Pa Drive system makes it easy to install on almost any vehicle and makes it easy for systems integrators to work out new applications and designs for any set of needs. The master vehicle controller also gives designers the option to control each wheel independently or as a single unit.