Ford adds 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine to powertrain line-up06 June 2011

A 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine – Ford's first three-cylinder version – has been released, extending its range from 1.0-litre to 3.5-litres, and presenting a sign of things to come.

Said to deliver the performance of a larger four-cylinder power plant, but with even greater fuel economy, the unit is due to be introduced initially in Ford's small cars.

Additionally Ford has confirmed that its next generation of hybrid vehicles, including the C-Max in 2013, will have a Ford-designed, engineered and built transmission.

Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, says the three cylinder in-line powerpack was developed in Europe for worldwide application and is a significant addition to Ford's EcoBoost range of engines.

"In the last five years, we have made a record investment in new powertrains and fuel-saving technologies," he states. "Today, we have the freshest powertrain line-up in the industry. And there is plenty more coming."

Engineers at Ford's Dunton Technical Centre in the UK were responsible for its development, as part of the car giant's EcoBoost petrol engine family. Kuzak describes it as a super-efficient, three-cylinder engine that delivers the same performance as a four-cylinder, but with much higher fuel economy and lower emissions.

To achieve this, he says, Ford focused on improving thermal efficiency and reducing friction of the engine's internal moving parts, especially during warm-up. That is when an engine emits higher levels of CO2 and pollutants.

In fact, a new Ford-designed split cooling system allows the cylinder block to warm up before the cylinder head. Faster cylinder block warm-ups save fuel, especially in cold weather.

Beyond that, the exhaust manifold has been cast into the cylinder head, with the one-piece assembly lowering the temperature of the exhaust gases. This enables the engine to run in a wider rpm band with the optimum fuel-to-air ratio. The new design also saves weight and allows the engine to operate more smoothly.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Ford Motor Co Ltd

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