Saturday 13 April 2013

Ford launches all-ally 1.5-litre EcoBoost


Ford Motor has launched its latest EcoBoost engine – the new 1.5-litre gasoline unit which will be manufactured initially at Ford’s facility in Craiova, Romania. 

With the launch of the engine, Ford now has capacity to build 1.6 million EcoBoost engines annually. By the end of 2013 six plants across Europe, Asia and North America will be produce EcoBoost engines, triple the number in 2010.

Production of the four-cylinder 1.5-litre engine – the fifth member of the EcoBoost family – begins in Craiova later this month. Other manufacturing locations will be announced later.

The new engine will be first introduced in China in the new Ford Mondeo that makes its public debut later this month at the Auto Shanghai Show 2013. Other applications follow in the Fusion sedan in North America this year, and later the new Mondeo in Europe.

As a key contributor to Ford’s aggressive fuel economy and emissions strategy, EcoBoost technologies enable improvements to both fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions of up to 20 per cent.

The 1.5-litre engine benefits from turbocharging, direct fuel injection and variable valve timing; it also offers high levels of engine refinement, quietness and performance.

Additionally, the new engine will allow Ford entry into global markets offering tax relief to consumers who purchase vehicles with engines of 1.5-litre capacity or less.   

The new aluminium-block, twin-cam 1.5-litre engine carries features introduced on the 1.0-litre EcoBoost, including an integrated exhaust manifold. The new engine is expected to provide similar horsepower and torque performance to Ford’s current 1.6-litre EcoBoost, while delivering improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.

The 1.5-litre engine is the first engine from Ford to incorporate a computer-controlled clutch on the belt-drive water pump further improving efficiencies by reducing warm-up time. A water-cooled charge air cooler is added to offer a more efficient feed of air into the engine.  

Ford has sold over 600,000 EcoBoost-equipped vehicles globally since the range was launched with the 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost in 2009. Ford added the 2.0-litre EcoBoost in 2010; the 1.6-litre EcoBoost followed in 2011; and last year the 1.0-litre EcoBoost was launched.

By the end of this year, nearly 80 per cent of the company’s global nameplates will be available with fuel-saving EcoBoost technology.