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What is Ford Trail 1-pedal drive, and how does it work?
By Product Expert | Posted in FAQs, Ford, Technology on Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 at 9:25 pm
If you’ve been studying up on some of the latest Ford off-roading masterpieces, you may have come across a feature known as one-pedal drive, sometimes called Trail 1-Pedal drive. Just what is Ford 1-pedal drive? What does it do, and how does it work?
Ford Trail 1-Pedal Drive Feature
Trail 1-Pedal drive is a feature that, when engaged, causes the equipped Ford vehicle’s brakes to automatically apply whenever the driver lifts off the accelerator.
The feature is called 1-Pedal drive because the driver is only using the accelerator, with brakes kicking in automatically as the accelerator is released. The feature both makes extreme off-road driving like rock crawling easier and can help those new to off-roading, who often struggle with when to apply brakes on different terrain. Trail 1-Pedal Drive not only engages brakes but also configures drive mode settings as needed.
Is Ford 1-Pedal Drive similar to EV one-pedal drive?
Ford 1-Pedal Drive is works in a manner similar to the one-pedal drive function found in many EVs, but the purpose of the feature is different. Many electric vehicles have a setting wherein the brakes will apply automatically when the accelerator is released; this is because the friction from braking is used to generate power for the EV’s battery, and thus increases the vehicle’s efficiency.
What vehicles will feature Ford 1-Pedal Drive?
Trail 1-Pedal is currently slated to be available on both the 2021 Ford Bronco and the 2021 Ford F-150 Tremor.
Learn more about the off-roading capabilities of the upcoming Ford Bronco.
Trail 1-Pedal Drive Vs. Ford Trail Control
Be careful not to confuse Trail 1-Pedal Drive with Ford Trail Control. This latter feature is more like off-road cruise control; it also uses only one pedal, but the one pedal utilized in this situation is the brake.
Drivers can set the speed of their vehicle in one mile-per-hour increments from one to 20; Ford Trail Control will automatically continue at this speed with the driver only having to operate the brake. Users should note that pressing the brake with Ford Trail Control will lower the cruising speed instead of deactivating the feature, which is a different effect than what the brake has when utilized with standard cruise control.
