Ford promises to improve car, truck efficiency 20%
Ford Trucks group vice president for global product development, Derrick Kuzak, said Wednesday that Ford would “achieve class-leading fuel economy” for its new trucks in North America “through unprecedented spending on advanced gasoline engines.”
That includes EcoBoost, a Ford-branded engine technology that combines gasoline-injection with turbocharging for up to a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy, as well as other technologies.
“We are committed to being the best or among the best in fuel economy with every new Ford product,” Kuzak said during a daylong event for journalists at Ford’s test track in Dearborn, Mich., where the automaker was showing off its 2009 lineup. That lineup includes the Ford Flex large crossover, the Lincoln MKS large sedan, and an all-new F-150, as well as updates to powertrains, paint colors and other options for many vehicles.
Kuzak boasted, for example, that the next-generation Explorer will offer “jaw-dropping” efficiency.
“We are making this happen,” he added, “with one of the most extensive powertrain upgrades ever for Ford. By the end of 2010, nearly all of Ford’s North American engines will be upgraded or replaced.”
While this focus might seem like a shift from Ford’s prior dedication to diesels, hybrid gasoline-electric engines, electric plug-in hybrids and other types of powertrains, Ford said it is not shying away from those technologies.
Rather,used Ford sees improvements in traditional gasoline engines as the best near-term solution while the marketplace sorts through the variety of options now on the table for the future. That’s because these technologies offer more improvements in fuel efficiency for the buck when compared with hybrids, which usually come with a hefty premium.
A poster at the Ford event says a customer who drives 15,000 miles a year can save $339 annually with EcoBoost.
Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics, a Birmingham, Mich., forecasting and consulting firm, said he believes that Ford is embarking on the proper strategy.
