Category Archives: Ford Hybrids

Ford to expand EcoBoost fuel-saving technology to three additional engines

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By the end of the year, Ford Motor Co. is expected to expand its EcoBoost fuel-saving technology to three additional engines.

We’ll know more soon this Tuesday at the SAE World Congress in Detroit from Barb Samardzich, Ford’s vice president of powertrain engineering, who is slated to provide more details about EcoBoost production plans. To reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the technology combines direct fuel injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging. In a statement, Samardzich said that Ford intends to truly make a difference by focusing on sustainable technology solutions that can be used for millions of cars. She will also be talking about Ford’s plans to offer a start/stop engine feature on as many as 20% of Ford’s global nameplates by 2014. Ford said that the feature is seen to lower fuel consumption and emissions by about 5%, depending on conditions. Ford’s next three EcoBoost engines will be: (1) a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that will be offered in the European version of the C-Max compact minivan; (2) a 2.0-liter four-cylinder for the next-generation Ford Explorer and Edge; and (3) a 3.5-liter V-6 for rear-drive F-150 applications. Information on hp and torque has yet to be released but Ford asserts that the engine has the power and towing capability of a V-8.

Ford Fusion Hybrid Wins First Annual Hermance Award

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What the heck is the Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award? First of all, the award was named after the late Dave Hermance, who was a leading hybrid vehicle proponent who worked for Toyota prior to his death in an experimental airplane accident on November 25, 2006. This is the first year that the award has been given.

Now that that’s out of the way, the first annual Hermance Award went to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. According to the Committee members who vote for the award, the final two contestants considered were the Fusion Hybrid and, not surprisingly, the 2010 Toyota Prius.

Interestingly, when describing the reason why the Fusion Hybrid beat out the Toyota Prius, no mention was made of any of Toyota’s various issues or recalls. Click past the break to read the full press release.

PRESS RELEASE

Ford Fusion Hybrid Wins 2010 David Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award

New Recognition Offered for the Automotive Product Destined to Transform the Market; Inaugural Award Honors Ford Fusion Hybrid’s "Efficiency for the Mainstream"

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire – February 10, 2010) – Today from the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, the first-ever David Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award was presented to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Organized by BermanWorks, the media company behind HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com, this award recognizes the new car that does the most to combine segment-leading fuel efficiency with outstanding consumer appeal. Lisa Drake, Chief Engineer for Hybrid and Electric Programs at Ford Motor Company, accepted the award on stage at the Chicago Auto Show.

"The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid marries a seamless, sophisticated hybrid power-train to a highly competitive and appealing package," said Bradley Berman, Founder of BermanWorks and chairman of the award committee. The committee, comprising a who’s who of leading automotive efficiency experts, also selected the Fusion Hybrid for its solid positioning in the middle of the North American market and its promise of making high efficiency technology more broadly accessible to the public.

The award is named in honor of the late David Hermance, the highly respected executive engineer who was Toyota’s hybrid technology guru. Hermance was a tireless and engaging spokesman for efficient vehicle design throughout the industry. He was known for his vision, clarity of purpose, and passion to produce and sell ultra-efficient, eco-friendly cars for the 21st century.

"The Hermance Award recognizes the best example of Dave’s focus on design that is at once practical and efficient, affordable for consumers and profitable for automakers," said Berman. "The committee was impressed at every level by the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, which leaves no stone unturned in terms of functionality and how the car relates to the driver."

"Maximizing the appeal of fuel-efficient technology also maximizes its environmental benefits," said award committee member John DeCicco, a senior lecturer at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. "The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid was this year’s clear winner and does an incredibly good job of making Dave’s vision for bringing hybrids further into the mainstream a reality."

The committee that selects the David Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award is made up of automotive industry insiders who were all colleagues of Mr. Hermance and deeply honored to develop this award in his memory. In addition to Berman and DeCicco, who presented the award in Chicago, other committee members include Robert Larsen, director emeritus of Argonne National Laboratory’s Center for Transportation Research; John German, senior fellow and program director for the International Council for Clean Transportation, and Lindsay Brooke, senior editor of Automotive Engineering International. Tomorrow, Hermance award committee members Larson, German and Brooke will make a repeat presentation to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid at the Society of Automotive Engineers annual hybrid vehicle technology symposium in San Diego.

The committee all agreed that the Fusion’s design raised the bar for the auto industry and that it would capture the approval of Dave Hermance. For more information on the award and the winning vehicle, visit: www.hermanceaward.com

About BermanWorks

BermanWorks is the media company behind HybridCars.com and the forthcoming PluginCars.com. The company’s mission is to provide trustworthy clear information about the next generation of alternative energy vehicles — creating a movement of consumers eager to purchase cars and trucks that use less oil, have a smaller environmental impact, and are fun to drive. For more information, visit www.BermanWorks.com

About the Chicago Auto Show

North America’s largest and longest-running automotive showcase, the Chicago Auto Show fills over a million square feet of Chicago’s McCormick Place each February. Featuring multiple North American and worldwide vehicle introductions, the Chicago Auto Show attracts consumers and journalists from all over the globe. For more information, visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com

[Via: Hermance Vehicle Efficiency Award]

Ford Fusion Hybrid, Keep the Awards Coming

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Back at it again, the Ford Fusion Hybrid has won yet another award. Add this new one to the list which includes the vehicles recent selection as Car and Driver’s 10 Best. The newest award presented to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the 2010 Earth, Wind, & Power Award for green car of the year.

The Fusion was chosen for the award for numerous reasons. Ford’s ability to offer a hybrid vehicle for sale nationwide at a base price of just $27,625 is one reason as is the Fusion’s gas mileage ratings of 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. The Fusion Hybrid is also the first American hybrid able to fully move under electric power alone. Yes, the Escape Hybrid can also move under electric power, but it losses that ability with the A/C on making it partially able to move under electric power.

As has been stated before, the Fusion Hybrid ins its share of awards not for being a hybrid, but for being an all around vehicle. It offers sporty driving characteristics, room for five, high quality materials, good gas mileage, and does so in a familiar package that buyers like.

For Ford, few competitors exist that can challenge the Fusion Hybrid. Competition comes from the Nissan Altima Hybrid which is only available in select states, the Toyota Camry hybrid, which lacks the fun to drive quotient of the Fusion, and possibly the Toyota Prius, which lacks mainstream appeal due to its dedicated hybrid design and lacks the performance aspect that the Fusion has.

Congrats to Ford once again for its efforts on the Ford Fusion Hybrid.

[Source: All Cars Electric] 

Ford Fiesta to Receive an EcoBoost Engine

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People were dismayed at reports saying that when the 2011 Ford Fiesta launches, it won’t have an EcoBoost engine, which is one of Ford Motor Co.’s most promoted technologies. Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of global product development, says though that an EcoBoost engine is coming soon.

However, Kuzak hasn’t given a date of when exactly it will appear. What we know for sure is that the Fiesta will go on sale next summer and will be powered by a naturally aspirated, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 119 hp and 109 pounds-feet of torque.

Those who would be looking for a turbocharged, direct-injection engine — hallmarks of the EcoBoost name – will have to wait for it to arrive “later,” Kuzak says. Meanwhile, Ford confirmed that it will launch a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine beginning in the European Ford C-Max in 2010.

It has yet to be confirmed whether the EcoBoost engine for the U.S. Fiesta will be 1.6 liters or smaller. In Europe, the Fiesta is available with naturally aspirated gasoline engines with displacements of 1.6, 1.4 and 1.25 liters.

Ford aims that by 2012, it will have produced 1.3 million EcoBoost engines globally, including 750,000 in the US. Ford also wants that by 2013, EcoBoost will be available in 90 percent of Ford’s global vehicle lineup.

[Source: Autonews] 

2011 Ford Fiesta to be Priced From $13,320

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Surprisingly, Ford decided to slip out U.S. pricing for its hotly anticipated and genuinely fuel efficient 2011 Fiesta with no fanfare at all. No major announcements at the LA Auto Show, no wordy press releases… nothing. But, if you head on over to Ford’s official page for the new Fiesta, you’ll see that it starts at $13,320 (plus a $675 destination charge).

Even better, the full Build and Price section is available, meaning you can see each and every individual option and its price. We went ahead and spent some time perusing the options list, and we see that the low base price is for the base S model, which comes exclusively in sedan form. The least expensive hatchback model is $15,120 (about $800 more than a comparably-equipped sedan).

Step up to a hatchback with Ford’s new six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and you’re looking at $16,190, and the uprated SES hatchback starts at $17,120 ($18,190 with the auto). Click past the jump for more interesting little tidbits that we noticed when pricing out our own Fiestas, including what Ford is offering for reserving one early.

One obvious omission that we noted was the complete lack of a real-life GPS navigation system. True, the latest SYNC system includes turn-by-turn voice navigation commands, but that certainly isn’t the same as the screen-based navigation systems offered by some sub-$20k competitors like the Honda Fit, Suzuki SX4 and, soon, the Nissan Versa. Moving along, we note that the excellent and highly attractive leather interior comes at a cost of $715 and is available in Black, Cashmere or Plum tones. Note, though, that the leather interior is only available on the SEL (sedan) and SES (hatchback) trim levels. Still, several competitors don’t offer cowhide insides at all.

Those looking to customize their rides a bit further can opt for five different graphics packages, though we’d just leave those options unchecked on our own Fiesta. For what it’s worth, we did price out a competing Honda Fit and found it’s pretty tough to option these two cars at similar levels. For instance, the Honda is available with a true screen-based navigation system (oddly only with the automatic transmission) but not with a leather interior. Consider too that the Fit is only available as a hatchback while the Fiesta can also be had in sedan form. In any case, the two cars are within spitting distance of one another when loaded to the gills with all available options.

 

[Source: Ford]