The Ford F-150’s First Digital Owner’s Manual
We’ve covered Ford’s 2021 F-150 equipped with the 3.5L PowerBoost Hybrid engine extensively already, without even seeing it. We’d be lying if we weren’t excited about the first full-size hybrid truck that doesn’t just provide greater fuel efficiency, but also better performance than most other powertrain options. A hybrid powertrain isn’t the only steps Ford is taking to reduce their carbon footprint and be more eco-friendly, however, they’re also making the 2021 F-150 Owner’s Manual completely digital. Instead, a small manual will provide critical information that should always be accessible, while a digital copy is available from the digital center console display screen.
Advantages of the 2021 Ford F-150 Digital Owner’s Manual
Find What You Need Faster
The digital 2021 Ford F-150 Owner’s Manual will be more convenient to access than ever before. All your vehicle’s information is at your finger tips. By simply using the center display anyone who sits up front can access the owner’s manual. To find the information you need quickly, Ford integrated a search capability where you can search for key words and pull up the information you need immediately. For those of us that are tech-savvy, this definitely beats flipping through a book.
Never Lose Another Owner’s Manual
Have you previously bought a pre-owned truck that wasn’t equipped with an owner’s manual? For some reason, I never remember to check if an owner’s manual is present, despite how thoroughly I look over the rest of the truck. A digital owner’s manual means as long as the truck can operate, and the center console works, there is an owner’s manual present.
More Environmentally Friendly
The small change of a digital 2021 Ford F-150 Owner’s Manual results in a massive, positive environmental impact. This change leads to a reduction of paper use by 290 tons per year. To put that in perspective, 290 tons of paper equals the weight of 122 average 2021 Ford F-150 pickup trucks. If that paper was stacked one on top of the other, it would lead to a pile of paper that is 18,000 feet tall. That saves a lot of paper!
Potential Digital Owner’s Manual Issues
A digital owner’s manual is a good idea for a number of reasons. It’s better for the environment, and it makes accessing vehicle information easier and faster. But what if it’s not easier for everyone? We worry that some elderly 2021 Ford F-150 truck owners will have a tough time adapting to digital owners’ manuals. Not everyone is good with technology, so it could be a potential issue. On the bright side, there is a physical supplement manual. It’s about 25% of the size of the original owner’s manual, and it has the most important information included inside of it.
Another issue is that if your vehicle is not operating, you won’t be able to access your owner’s manual. You could also lose access if your center console display screen is broken. Books can be replaced for less than $100. Replacing a digital display screen is much more costly than that.
Overall Thoughts
Despite the few potential issues, the new digital owner’s manual is a, overwhelmingly positive change. We’re looking forward to seeing other manufacturers switch over and use digital owner’s manuals as a way to improve user experience while simultaneously reducing waste.
Learn More About the 2021 Ford F-150
Check out some of our other posts and resources about the new 2021 Ford F-150. Click on one of the links below to learn more.
