Ford Motors Unveils EcoBoost

Well, when it rains - it pours.  Somehow it seems that like celebrity deaths, stories on certain topics come in clumps.  Just the other day I wrote about the changes at Chevy.  Today, it’s Ford’s turn.  Ford is set to unveil what they are calling “EcoBoost.” Not sure how much Ford is putting on this for the future or if they’re just banking on this for the short-term.

What is EcoBoost?  It’s described as a “gas-turbo direct-injection engine.”  Yeah - I’m not sure what that means, either. From what I understand from reading the PDF on the Ford website, its still a standard gasoline engine.  They are just using a creative way to get 20-30% more efficiency from a standard gas engine.  At the same time they are reducing CO2 emissions by around 15% and increasing engine torque.  That seems like a fair tradeoff for right now, but I hope they have something better than that in their back-pocket for the future.  Like something with less oil dependency.  Why not put more into their PHEVs?

Ford Motor Company hopes to have the EcoBoost feature in 500,000 cars and trucks in the next five years.  The first vehicle to get it will be the 2009 Mercury MKS sedan.  The new Ford Explorer America concept truck (it kinda looks like those boxy Mercedes SUVs) will be shown at this year’s Detroit Auto Show and will showcase the new EcoBoost engine.

From today’s press release:
“EcoBoost is meaningful because it can be applied across a wide variety of engine types in a range of vehicles, from small cars to large trucks – and it’s affordable,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. 

“Compared with the current cost of diesel and hybrid technologies, customers in North America can expect to recoup their initial investment in a 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine through fuel savings in approximately 30 months.  A diesel in North America will take an average of seven and one-half years, while the cost of a hybrid will take nearly 12 years to recoup – given equivalent miles driven per year and fuel costs,” he said.

I should mention that Ford, like most automakers, is making strides environmentally.  They already have seats in vehicles now that are made with soy-based foams.  They have worked with BP on establishing two hydrogen filling stations.  I’m sure there is more… 

I’m waiting for the auto announcement one day where I actually get excited rather than just being skeptical.  I know there are better ways out there.  Maybe someone will buy me one of those Air cars being made with TaTa Motors in India that just runs on compressed air.  Or perhaps the new ZAP-X car that is being developed with the design engineers from Lotus that is electric with solar and a slew of other exciting features…including photovoltaic glass for heating and cooling, 100% electric, 0-60 in under 5 seconds, 155mph, 350 miles per charge…okay…I have to stop now because I’m drooling on my keyboard again.

Source: Ford Motor Company