The new 2010 Lincoln MKS is scheduled to begin Ford’s new EcoBoost technology, utilizing a 3.5 L V6 engine estimated to have up to 340 horsepower. Shortly after, the new Ford Flex will begin production with the same engine. Not only that, but Ford also plans to release a 4-cylinder version using the same technology, perhaps in the Ford Taurus. So what is EcoBoost?
The idea behind EcoBoost is to take a twin-turbo gasoline engine and tweak it to output the power of a V8, while retaining the fuel-economy of a V6, using gasoline direct injection. Gasoline direct injection is more efficient than standard port injection, allowing for better combustion, measuring, and emission control. Ford says they plan to equip half a million cars and trucks with this technology annually, by 2013.
Cincinnati Ford dealers believe this is the way to go, seeing it as a great new technology that will boost sales across the board. However, Beechmont Ford dealerships are a bit skeptical, worrying that new technology will bring higher prices. It is a bold move, and with the economy in its current state, that might be what it takes to get ahead.
Ford is optomistic about the money it will save consumers. “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,” says Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development.
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