Green Vehicles

EcoBoost

The cornerstone of our near-term plan is a new generation of smaller-displacement turbocharged gasoline engines with advanced fuel-saving direct injection technologies. This new family of engines provides the performance of a V8 with the fuel economy of a V6.

• EcoBoost is slated for a range of global vehicles – from small cars to large trucks
• The EcoBoost engine is designed to help increase your fuel economy and lower your CO2 emissions
• EcoBoost is the combination of two different technologies: turbocharging and direct injection. Together, these technologies deliver higher performance, better fuel economy, and fewer emissions. Higher performance because improved transient response enabled by the direct injector reduces ‘turbo lag’ which overcomes the traditional disadvantage of downsizing and boosting; better fuel economy because increased compression ratio enabled by direct injection air charge cooling and less “knock” tendency; fewer emissions because reduced emissions are enabled by increased heat to the catalyst
• Within the next five years, Ford will be producing more than 500,000 EcoBoost vehicles annually for North America beginning with the new 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan followed by the 2010 Ford Flex

New Technology

In addition to EcoBoost, our family of new gasoline turbocharged direct-injection engines – and as part of our near- and mid-term plans – we will introduce a portfolio of technologies to achieve even greater fuel savings and emissions reductions. They include:

• A new generation of fuel-saving twin-clutch transmissions which deliver the fuel economy of a manual with the convenience of an automatic. These new transmissions include greater use of six-speeds to replace less-efficient four-, and five-speed gearboxes
• The use of advanced electric power assisted steering systems in between 80 and 90 percent of Ford vehicles
• Aerodynamic improvements through better design and wind tunnel optimisation
• Weight reductions through platform efficiencies and greater use of aluminum and high-strength steel

The fuel savings will grow during the mid-term – between 2012 and 2020 – as weight reductions become a critical focus of our plan. Targeted vehicle weight reductions will range from 113 to 340 kilograms (250 to 750 pounds), depending on the segment.

The best part? These near-term advancements continue to materialise for millions of customers in high-quality products they want and value, without compromising their expectations of safety, quality, interior room, or performance.

Bio-fuels

Ford’s commitment to sustainability and reduced dependence on fossil fuels means the company will continue to deliver products capable of running on renewable fuels such as bio-diesel and ethanol. Ford has more than five million flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the roads today globally.

We currently offer a total of 14 flexible fuel vehicle models in various markets globally. We also continue to support the development of cellulosic bio-fuels, which in the long-term promise up to 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

• The E85 Escape Hybrid combines hybrid technology with flex-fuel capability. A total of 20 E85 Escape Hybrids were delivered to select fleet customers staking Ford’s claim to another important industry first. These are the world’s first hybrid vehicles capable of operating on blends of fuel containing as much as 85-percent ethanol
• The Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car produced at the St. Thomas Assembly Plant in Ontario are all E85 ethanol vehicles. When operating on ethanol, these vehicles can achieve a GHG reduction of up to 65 percent – comparable or better than many of the hybrid vehicles on the road today

Clean Diesels

Ford’s sustainability plan calls for adding more diesel engines to more products in more markets. By the end of the decade, Ford’s large sport utility vehicles and best-selling F-Series will be available with a new mid-displacement clean diesel engine.

In Europe, Ford soon will begin rolling out its ECOnetic range of ultra-low CO2 models that cleverly use affordable, conventional technology to deliver superb CO2 performance and fuel economy. The first vehicle will be the Ford Focus ECOnetic, followed by ECOnetic versions of the Mondeo and Ford’s all new B-car in 2008.

Hybrids

Hybrid Electrics

• Ford is now in its fifth year producing the world’s most fuel-efficient SUV – the Escape Hybrid
• A new hybrid sedan – the Ford Fusion Hybrid – will go into production later in 2008
• Moving forward, Ford plans to deploy different levels of hybridization with either diesel or gasoline engines – depending on the market and vehicle type

Plug-in Hybrids

Ford’s sustainability plan also calls for aggressive development of breakthrough technologies, such as plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles to ramp up to greater volumes once the technology challenges can be overcome.

• In December 2007, Ford delivered the first Ford Escape Hybrid Plug-in to its partner Southern California Edison as part of a partnership to explore the commercialization of plug-in hybrids and the business models that might make them viable. The partnership is designed to advance plug-in technology as well as an energy vision that connects transportation to the energy grid

Hydrogen Power

Ford is moving ahead with a range of technology solutions simultaneously, including hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines. Ford began working on hydrogen technology in the early 1990s. Ford’s first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, released in 2001, was used to develop its first hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine.

• We currently have a fleet of 30 hydrogen-powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city program to conduct real-world testing of fuel cell technology. The fleet has accumulated more than 965,000 kilometres (600,000 miles) since its inception. With this fleet on the road, significant information that will be integrated into future fuel cell vehicle propulsion systems is being generated in different local environmental conditions. Ford is testing Focus FCV in Vancouver and is the first company to test fuel cell vehicles in Canada
• In addition, we have 24 hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine shuttle buses in cities across the United States and Canada. This fleet of hydrogen internal combustion engine shuttle buses is providing valuable real-world experience to assist in the research and production of next-generation hydrogen internal combustion engines
• The hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine (H2ICE) demonstration fleet has three shuttles in Ottawa. In addition, Ford of Canada is preparing seven more hydrogen shuttle buses for use in other regions of Canada
• A joint effort between Ford of Canada, BP, and the Government of Canada called The Hydrogen Highway hopes to build the world’s first highway equipped with hydrogen fueling stations, linking Vancouver to Whistler in time for the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games in 2010

References

Displacement – Liters: the common metric measurement of engine displacement.
Engine displacement is the measure of the total cylindrical volume through which the pistons of an engine move from one end of the stroke to the other. The formula to determine the displacement of an engine is:
Displacement = .7854 x Bore x Bore x Stroke x Number of Cylinders
For example: the displacement of the 4.6L V-8 (281-cid) engine is: 280.3 (0.7854 x 3.55 x 3.55 x 3.54 x 8).
Flexible Fuel Vehicle – A vehicle that can operate on E85 gasoline that burns cleaner than conventional gasoline. E85 is a blend of fuel ethanol and unleaded gasoline, containing up to 85 percent fuel ethanol.
Hybrid – A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) combines a conventional propulsion system with an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle without being hampered by range from a charging unit like a battery electric vehicle, which uses batteries charged by an external source.