Ford Announces New Ecoboost Engine

Ford announced that they will be adding their smallest engine yet to their lineup. They will have a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine with an all-new eight speed automatic transmission. Fords goal was to design an engine that delivers the same performance as a four-cylinder, but with much higher fuel economy and lower emissions.

To reach their goal, engineers at Dunton improved thermal efficiency and reduced friction of the engines internal moving parts, especially during warm-up, since this is when the engine emits higher levels of CO2 and other pollutants. The new engine will be featured in Fords small cars in North America.

Some of the features of the 1.0-liter engine include an offset crankshaft, a Ford-designed split cooling system that lets the cylinder block warm up before the cylinder head, an exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head, and EcoBoost technologies such as turbocharging, direct injection, and twin independent variable camshaft timing. The new eight-speed transmission will have Fords next generation clutch controls, an input torque sensor, actuators built into the case, and closed-loop control.

The new small engine will also come with Fords next generation of hybrid vehicles. The new vehicles will receive the eight-speed automatic transmission that is built entirely in Michigan. Ford already offers four vehicles that offer at least 40 mpg, which is something that no other automaker can claim.

Ford hopes to strengthen the lineup of fuel-efficient vehicles with the new engine. Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development, said, With our global family of EcoBoost engines, weve replaced V8s with V6s and V6s with four-cylinders with no loss of performance and with impressive fuel economy improvements. The new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will come in at the lower end of the global range and will take place of a four-cylinder engine, again with no loss of performance or refinement. Above all, drivers win because this new engine is specifically designed and engineered for terrific fuel economy.

However, Ford says that this is only the beginning of new fuel efficient powertrains. Kuzak explains, In the last five years, we have made a record investment in new powertrains and fuel-saving technologies. Today we have the freshest powertrain lineup in the industry. And there is plenty more coming.

Ford continues to add EcoBoost powertrains to every vehicle that they sell in North America. The next vehicles that will get EcoBoost engines will be the Edge and Explorer late this summer. Ford hopes to have 90 percent of its North American lineup offering EcoBoost engines by 2013.