Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press
believes that Ford’s recovery plan will gain some momentum from several
new engine and transmission technologies that will dramatically improve
the power and fuel economy of Ford vehicles. Combined, the systems
could actually boost fuel economy by 20% or more and produce V6 engines
with more power than some of the current V8s.
Several of the aforementioned technologies made their debut on the
Lincoln MKR concept car at the 2007 North American International Auto
Show in Detroit. The MKR was powered by a 3.5L twin-turbo 415-hp V6.
Ford said that not only did the engine match the output of a V8, but it
also uses 15% less fuel.
New Ford production engines are expected to feature single or twin
turbocharging, direct gasoline injections, automatic shutoff and
cylinder deactivation. The new automatic transmissions will use
mechanical components similar to those in a six-speed manual
transmission. Shifting will be automatic via electronic controls and
hydraulic actuators. This dual-clutch transmission, called Powershift,
was developed in cooperation with German transmission company Getrag.
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According to the article, “Most of these technologies will first see
production at Ford’s European operations, but they will begin to show
up on the company’s North American models within two or three years.”
Direct injection will likely show up in almost all of Ford’s future
engines. This technology relies on high-injection pressure and
electronic controls to boost power and fuel economy. Ford says that the
new engines will run on regular gasoline, while many of the current
engines using direct injection must run on premium.
The combination of direct injection and turbocharging is called Twin
Force by the automaker, referring to the increase of both power and
fuel economy. The Twin Force direct-injection fuel system differs from
conventional port fuel-injected gasoline engines in that gasoline is
directly injected into the engine’s cylinders at high pressures.
Direct-injection fuel systems are able to more precisely control when
and how much fuel is injected into the cylinders, which allows for more
efficient burn and improved combustion control that delivers optimal
performance and fuel economy.
Currently,
Ford is planning to use a single turbo on the four-cylinder engines,
and twin turbos on the V6s. A Ford source told the Detroit Free Press
that the company's new Twin-Force-powered engines can be compared “to
the remarkably smooth and direct-injection twin-turbo straight-six that
produces 300 horsepower in the acclaimed BMW 335-ci convertible.”
Sources: Phelan, Mark. (July 8, 2007). “Efficient Engines at Ford.” Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 12, 2007 from www.freep.com. Ford Motor Company.
