| Information on Ford's eco boost Since everyone seems interested in the Ford eco boost technology, here is an interesting article from the Auto Spectator:
EcoBoost is Ford Motor Company’s new high-volume, affordable engine technology slated for a range of global vehicles – from small cars to large trucks
NEW YORK, March 20, 2008 – As America watches gasoline prices creeping toward the $4 per gallon mark, Ford Motor Company is coming to the rescue with a new family of engines that promise real-world savings at the pump.
Ford Explorer America Concept: Showcases EcoBoost combined with other sustainability actions; together, they deliver a 20-30 percent increase in fuel economy versus today’s mid-size utilities.
Highlights:
* EcoBoost uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology for up to 20 percent better fuel economy, 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger displacement engines.
* The new technology will be available in half a million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles annually in North America within the next five years – beginning with the new Lincoln MKS sedan in 2009.
The EcoBoost family of 4- and 6-cylinder engines uses turbocharging and direct injection technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy and and up to 15 percent fewer emissions. More importantly, EcoBoost builds on todays affordable gasoline engines allowing the technology to be applied across a wide range of engines and vehicles types, from small cars to large trucks.
“Rising gasoline prices are on everyones mind these days," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. “EcoBoost is one way that Ford is answering the call by delivering an affordable, fuel-saving option to millions of Ford and Lincoln Mercury customers. In the next five years, EcoBoost will be available on a half a million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles annually in North America.”
In 2009, Ford first will introduce EcoBoost on the Lincoln MKS featuring a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 that will produce the power and torque of a V-8 engine with the fuel efficiency of a V-6. In fact, with an estimated 340 horsepower and more than 340 lb.-ft. of torque, the Lincoln MKS will be the most powerful and fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive luxury sedan in the market.
“Using an average fuel price of $3.25 a gallon and estimated 15,000 miles driven, the Lincoln MKS, with its EcoBoost V-6, will save customers about $340 a year in fuel costs compared with a standard V-8 model luxury sedan, not to mention a reduction in CO2 emissions and fewer trips to the filling station,” said Kuzak.
More With Less
EcoBoost’s combination of direct injection and turbocharging mitigates the traditional disadvantages of downsizing and boosting 4- and 6-cylinder engines, giving customers both superior performance as well as fuel economy.
With direct injection, fuel is injected into each cylinder of an engine in small, precise amounts. Compared to conventional port injection, direct injection produces a cooler, denser charge, delivering higher fuel economy and performance.
When combined with modern-day turbocharging – which uses waste energy from the exhaust gas to drive the turbine – direct injection provides the best of both worlds: the responsiveness of a larger-displacement engine with fewer trips to the gas pump.
Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, for example, can deliver upwards of 340-plus lb.-ft. of torque across a wide engine range – 2,000 to 5,000 rpm versus 270 to 310 lb.-ft of torque for a conventional naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V-8 over the same speed range. At the same time, this V-6 gives customers an approximately 15 percent fuel economy improvement and emits up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions to the environment.
Direct injection coupled with turbocharging allows for the downsizing of engines that deliver improved torque and performance. A 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine has the capability of producing more torque than a larger 6-cylinder engine – nearly an entire liter larger in displacement – with up to 20 percent better fuel efficiency.
The real-world fuel economy benefit is consistent no matter the drive cycle, meaning the engine is efficient in the city as well as on the highway – unlike hybrids, which are most efficient in stop-and-go traffic. In addition, customers who tow and haul – and have long turned to more expensive diesel powertrains for their superior towing capabilities – can find the engine performance they need from an EcoBoost powertrain.
EcoBoost – combined with six-speed transmissions, advanced electric power steering, weight reductions and aerodynamic improvements – is part of Ford Motor Company’s strategy to deliver sustainable, quality vehicles that customers want and value. Additional hybrid offerings and diesel engines are planned for light-duty vehicles.
Longer term, Ford plans to remain aggressive in the development of plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles.
EcoBoost is one part of Ford’s sustainability strategy. The systems approach to sustainability utilizes a number of different technologies to provide customers with vehicles that fuel economy fuel efficient vehicles that emit fewer greenhouse gases without compromising on safety, comfort, convenience and performance.
Explorer America – A Sustainable Showcase
To help explain its vehicle sustainability strategy, Ford created the Explorer America concept that debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.
The Explorer America concept delivers an approximately 20 to 30 percent fuel-economy improvement – depending on engine selection – while providing room for six and their gear, along with moderate towing and off-roading capabilities.
The concept aims to highlight a number of innovations tied to Ford’s systems approach, including:
* A powertrain lineup that includes a 4-cylinder 2-liter engine with EcoBoost technology delivering 275 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque or, as a premium engine, a 3.5-liter V-6 delivering about 340 hp. Depending on engine selection, fuel-efficiency will improve by 20 to 30 percent versus today’s V-6 or V-8 Explorer
* Migration from current body-on-frame to unibody construction, reducing weight and delivering superior driving dynamics
* A fuel-efficient 6-speed transmission with auto shift control, allowing the driver to select and hold a lower gear with just the turn of a dial when conditions warrant it
* A weight reduction of 150 pounds for the V-6 version thanks to its downsized – yet superior performing – engine, as well as more lightweight materials, suspension and chassis components
* Fuel-saving electric power assisted steering (EPAS) and other engine actions that deliver a fuel savings benefit of about 5 percent. Between 80 to 90 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will have EPAS by 2012
* Aerodynamic and other parasitic improvements that add up to a 5 percent fuel economy gain
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Mechanical Engineer ~ Ford Mustang Obsessed
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