SMMT News

Ford announces launch of high-tech, UK-developed 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine

10 November 2011 #SMMT News

Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally has launched production of Ford’s new 1.0-litre EcoBoost three cylinder engine developed by UK powertrain engineers located at Dunton and Dagenham. The turbocharged, direct injection engine will be available in Europe in early 2012 and will ultimately be used worldwide.

“The new 1.0-litre EcoBoost and our entire family of EcoBoost engines represent technology breakthroughs that deliver power, fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions through turbocharging and direct injection,” said Mulally.

Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost engineThe high-tech, ultra-efficient engine will debut in the UK in the Ford Focus, with two power variants delivering 123bhp with 114g/km CO2 and 99bhp with 109g/km CO2. The performance rivals a traditional 1.6-litre engine, but with significantly improved fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. The 1.0-litre EcoBoost cylinder block can fit onto a sheet of A4 paper but delivers up to 170Nm peak torque (with 200Nm overboost), giving it the highest power density of any Ford production engine to date.

“The new 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine is a true collaboration from start to finish, with expertise from Ford specialists across Europe leveraged in designing both the engine and the cutting-edge facility in which it will be produced,” said Stephen Odell, Chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe.

“This will be reflected in the class-leading European CO2 emissions of the new 1.0-litre EcoBoost Ford Focus when it debuts in early 2012; low emissions that will be achieved alongside the spirited and refined performance that customers expect from Ford.”

Graham Hoare, European Executive Powertrain Director with engineers based at Dunton and Dagenham, added, “This is the third addition to our acclaimed EcoBoost engine family. Joining the 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre EcoBoost engines which span 150PS to above 200PS, this 1.0-litre EcoBoost signals a new era of downsized, super-frugal engines for the sub-130PS segment. During development our UK engineers focused on improving thermal efficiency and reducing friction of the engine’s internal moving parts, especially during warm-up.”

Britain leads on European product development of Ford engines and transmissions at Dunton Technical Centre, Essex, with up to two million engines including the 1.6 EcoBoost assembled annually at Bridgend and Dagenham.

Ford has invested £110 million to develop a special high-tech line at its Cologne facility in Germany to build the new engine. Annual capacity at the plant is expected to be 350,000 units, with total European capacity increased up to 700,000 units when Ford’s new plant in Craiova, Romania commences production.

In the future, the company anticipates that production will expand outside of Europe to deliver up to 1.5 million UK-developed 1.0-litre EcoBoost engines per year.

For more information about UK automotive manufacturing download SMMT’s Motor Industry Facts 2011.

Click the play button below to watch Ford’s video introduction to the new three cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine.

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