Ecoboost engines from Ford: the secret behind their success

To put it in more mundane terms, you could say that Ford hit the jackpot with its Ecoboost engines. Although when they were announced back in 2008, hardly anyone paid them the attention they deserved, today the North American company is amazing friends and rivals alike with the degree of penetration that the Ecoboost engine is achieving (and will achieve).

Let us give you some examples of why Ford has got off to a flying start with this engine: the Ford vehicle lineup in the US will feature 11 models equipped with some version of Ecoboost in 2013. On this side of the pond, the new engine’s rollout will be a little slower, but steady; Ford is preparing 10 more European models with Ecoboost, whose integration will be completed by 2015. In total, there will be 1.6 million Ecoboost engines of all kinds around the world.

Let us now look at what the Ecoboost engine is based on. Mainly, it consists of a twin-turbo with direct injection that delivers more power from small engines. As the main measure in its combustion cycle, the temperature of the exhaust gases is lowered to allow an optimal air/fuel ratio across the entire rev range. Among other measures taken, the materials used to build the engine block make the engine warm up faster, reducing the energy used during the warm-up cycle by 50%.

Other solutions have also been put into practice with these engines, which may seem a little “strange”, if you will, but which help make the Ecoboost one of the most fuel-efficient engines. To split hairs, the engine belts will be bathed in a special type of oil so that they run more smoothly and the engine doesn’t have to use more energy.

And if these modifications mean we have to spend less money at the pump, welcome them: with all these small changes, the Ecoboost is expected to consume around 5.50 L/100 km.