Ford EcoBoost-equipped vehicle sales in the US are up 46%, year-to-date, with the automaker predicting that 2015 will see over 1 million EcoBoost engines sold in the US for the first time in a single year.
As fuel economy and emissions standards tighten, downsized turbocharged engines are leading the charge and among innovations, Ford’s EcoBoost range is setting the pace.
EcoBoost engines now feature in Ford’s entire lineup of non-hybrid light-duty vehicles in the US and are offered in a range of sizes including a 1.0-litre three-cylinder; 1.5-litre, 1.6-litre, 2.0-litre and 2.3-litre four-cylinders; 2.7-litre and 3.5-litre V6 variants. Ford also plans on introducing a Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-liter V6 in 2016.
The turbocharged EcoBoost engines use direct injection, variable valve timing and the proprietary EcoBoost engine management software to offer a popular mix of fuel economy and performance.
In an announcement, Ford sales analyst, Erich Merkle, spoke about the benefits of the innovative EcoBoost engine range.
“Ford EcoBoost delivers great performance along with the capability of impressive fuel efficiency.
“Ford leadership in clean gasoline turbocharged engine technology is paying dividends as evidenced by EcoBoost sales growth,” said Merkle.
To the end of October, the top three EcoBoost-powered Ford models sold in the US were the F-150 truck (210,239), the Ford Escape (203,855) and the Fusion (105,999).
Ford doubled its production capacity at its Cologne plant in Germany in 2013, turning out more than 1,000 EcoBoost engines every day. As part of further expansions the company recently invested close to $200m into its Cleveland engine plant with production commencing this year.
Currently The V6 EcoBoost engines are being assembled at Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 in Brook Park, Ohio. The 2.0 L I4 EcoBoost engines are produced at the Ford Valencia Engine Plant in Spain. The 1.6 L I4 EcoBoost engines are made at the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant in the United Kingdom. The small displacement I3 EcoBoost engine is produced both at the Ford Cologne Engine Plant in Germany and at Ford Romania.
Ford is so confident in the performance of its EcoBoost engines that the company plans to feature the 3.5-litre V6 variant in its GT super car when it makes a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year.
In addition to turbocharged EcoBoost engines, Ford has been developing its range of hybrid electric vehicles in the US.
