Ford Flex With EcoBoost Arrives!

I've been saying this for months now to anyone who cares to listen: Ford will overtake General Motors as the largest American automaker, probably a lot sooner than most people think. I base my assertion on what Ford has coming to the market this year besides several new products and that would be its EcoBoost engine technology, a revolution in the way cars will be powered.

Most automakers are embracing hybridization and electric vehicles, understanding that the trend toward these types of alternate powered cars is the wave of the future. However, most automakers also realize that gas engines are with us and are likely to power a significant number of cars over the coming decades.

Not Taking Any Chances

Ford is one company who is embracing a variety of energy sources to power its cars including electric, hybrid, diesel and gas engines. But, in order to squeeze more power out of gas engines without polluting the environment, Ford has had to rethink the way that they engineer these motors. Enter EcoBoost.

EcoBoost engines feature turbochargers as well as direct injection technology. This means that equipped motors will operate at a higher horsepower and torque displacement than similar sized engines effectively making a V6 engine with Ecoboost operate as a V8. Ford's first engine with this technology is a 3.5L V6 which will power the Lincoln MKT crossover, Ford Taurus sedan and the Lincoln MKS sedan. Additional engine choices, including a I4 EcoBoost are under development and will likely power a number of different models. The Ford Flex, a crossover, will also receive the technology.

“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.

Moving Ahead Of GM

GM has its own line of fuel efficient engines to offer customers, but nothing that can match EcoBoost in power and fuel economy. With several new models being released for the 2010 model year, Ford is poised to leap frog GM, winning the hearts and minds of car shoppers.