Auto Trends

Well, perhaps not as economical as a a new line of electric hybrids, but any step in the right direction deserves some attention. Ford has taken good old fashioned engine basics and pushed them all together to create a more economical engine that will ask for zero change from the consumer.

No running around in search of those often hard to find alternative fuel sources. No plugging your car in before you go to bed. You just purchase and drive off into the wild “green” oblivion.

So is all the “green” elements of this “eco” boost only in its nifty name, or will it actually offer us something to write home to Mom about. Well, let’s take a look:

To begin with, Ford claims that its Ecoboost offers the power and functionality of engines that currently would need two more cylinders to give you the same results. So a 4-cylinder produces V6 like output and a V6 will run like a V8.

How they are accomplishing this is not anything new. There are no nuclear radioflux mechanisms, no bio-reactors, just a series of tried and true basic engineering principles…

It will have Direct Injection, which basically offers a precise way for the combustion chamber to receive the fuel for the best efficiency, power, and minimal emissions.

The second feature is Turbo Charging. We have discussed this time and again on here, but once again a turbo is one of the most efficient power enhancers you can put on a normally aspirated engine for big power gains.

A Supercharger works great too, but it actually needs power from the engine to turn the charger propeller. The turbo woks off the already spent exhaust to turn the propeller and pressurize the incoming air for big power gains with very little extra fuel needed.

For example, an ecoboost V-6 (like the one they are going to use in the MKS, will produce 340 horsepower from a 3.5 liter. Let’s see, their current 4.0 liter can only push out 210 horsepower. So, yeah, those are some pretty impressive numbers.

But what about economy and emissions. Ford says that the eco-treatment will boost whatever car it is in by approximately 2 MPG and 15 percent less toxicity spewed into the air.

I guess we can have our horsepower and breathe easier too!