Ecoboost, Take A Second Look!

For those of you who have discussions with friends about who has the best truck, which is strongest, or which truck has the most room, Ford's new Ecoboost line of engines changes the whole conversation. First produced in 2009 for several 2010 models, the Ecoboost engine brings a smaller engine block that packs a double punch of higher horsepower and better fuel mileage.

Although it was initially in a couple of Lincoln concept cars in 2007-2008, it began production as a v6 made in Cleveland, Ohio. Now the Ecoboost line of engines includes a 1.6 L I4, a 2.0 L I4, and the original v6. It soon will include a 1.0 L 3 cylinder engine and a v8 500 hp power plant. In each model, the Ecoboost engine includes turbochargers for more power, and fuel injection changes that allow the engine to consume more air and less fuel.

The Ecoboost engine currently is available in a few different sizes. The smalles version, the 1.6L I4, is an in line 4 cylender with 1596cc of displacement that offers 150 to 182 horsepower depending on the setup. The other 4 cylender, the 2.0L I4, has a 1999cc displacement and offers203 - 240 hp.

The larger engine that is currently available, the Ford Ecoboost v6, is built from the old Duratec 35 engine block. Originally these engines put out up to 285 hp, but with the new Ecoboost package they pack a punch with 365 hp available.

An area in which Ford has needed to progress to compete with other makes has been fuel economy. In the past, Ford has had plenty of horsepower, but has not had a decent fuel economy to go along with it. That has changed.

The new Ecoboost engines, in each size, rank at or near the top in fuel economy in each of the models in which they are placed. In the Fiesta, the 1.6 L gets up to 40 mpg. The Focus, with the 2.0L I4, also gets up to 40 mpg. And the Ford F150 Ecoboost fuel economy is definitely respectable at 22 mpg.

Each of the Ecoboost engines come with turbos to increase their power output. Due to the smaller size, and a desire to not give up power while achieving better fuel efficiency, Ford has included Turbochargers on all of the Ecoboost engines and in some cases it has added two turbochargers.

The I4 engines, both the 1.6L and the 2.0L, each have one turbocharger. These turbos are made by Borg Warner, an award winning U.S. company that makes powertrain parts and was founded in 1928. The 1.6L Ecoboost uses the Borg Warner KP39 Turbo and the 2.0L uses the larger K03 Turbo.

The 3.5L V6 has twin turbochargers, however. It uses the Garrett GT15 turbo manufactured by Honeywell. These turbos can add over 100hp to an engine which is why this V6 can be used in both full size trucks and in sports cars.

Although the Ecoboost engine has largely been publicized as an available engine for the F150 and the Mustang, the line has made its way as an option in most of the current Ford models. The V6 is available in the F150, Mustang, Explorer, Flex, Taurus, and certain Lincoln models.

The I4 1.6L is offered as an option on the Focus currently, but will soon be offered on the Fiesta and is also offered in the European Ford's: the C-Max and the Volvo S60. The 2.0L I4 is currently offered on the Edge and Explorer, but will soon be found in the Focus, the Taurus, and some Range Rover models.