New 'green' engine doesn't give up performance

No matter what people tell pollsters about their willingness to buy "green" cars, that desire seems to evaporate in the showroom.

Ford of Canada hopes to ease that tug between conscience and performance with its new EcoBoost engine.

The technology, which will be rolled out later this year on the Mercury MKS sedans assembled in Oakville and by 2013 on 500,000 other Ford products a year, uses gasoline turbocharged direct injection technology to produce some impressive fuel economy and greenhouse gas numbers without giving up performance.

"People say they want green technology, but when it comes time to make the decision few people are really willing to give up performance," Ford Canada president Barry Engle said at a business breakfast sponsored by Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. "This vehicle is a real hoot to drive."

Early results show the EcoBoost engine can deliver up to 20 per cent better fuel efficiency while cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 15 per cent. But that's not the best part, Engle said. Its biggest advantage is that it's significantly cheaper than other "green" alternatives such as hybrid vehicles. Ford estimates the new technology will pay for itself in gas savings in 30 months, compared to six years for a hybrid engine.

In a direct injection system, Ford explained in a news release, precise amounts of fuel are injected into each cylinder of an engine, producing a smaller, denser charge that delivers higher fuel economy. By combining that with turbocharging - which uses waste energy from the exhaust gas to drive the turbine - the system can deliver the power of a much larger engine.

While EcoBoost's initial use will be in the Mercury line, Engle said the company will quickly expand it across Ford's products.

"We're not going to save the good stuff just for people who can afford a $50,000 car," he said. "From Day 1, Ford Motor Company has been about democratizing technology and making it available to people through economies of scale."

While bragging about the gains possible from a tweak to the internal combustion engine, Engle added Ford is also pushing aggressively on new technologies such as hybrid gas-electric engines, hydrogen power and fuel cell systems.

"We haven't backed off on anything," he said. "One of those will be the predominant solution that people gravitate to in the future, but nobody knows what it will be yet."

Ford is also moving to "green" its production plants. The company has announced that the third generation of its patented Fume-to-Fuel system will be installed in the giant Oakville Assembly Complex. The Oakville installation is the first of its kind in the world and is expected to cut CO2 emissions by 88 per cent and eliminate nitrogen oxide emissions altogether.

The system uses carbon beads to capture emissions of volatile organic compounds from the paint shop's exhaust air. The compounds are then processed through a fuel cell into electricity that can be used in the plant, including on its 45 km of assembly line.

"It's still research at this point, but we're excited about its potential," Engle said.