2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost

More power, coupled with more fuel economy. That's the simple premise behind Ford's EcoBoost engines. Few can argue with the concept, as it pretty much pleases everyone. Except those who yearn for the sound of a V-8, in this case.



Real truck owners need the towing power and the practicality of a truck. Not everyone can drive a small and economical car. Not to mention that small cars bring high insurance premiums with them, that all but relegate fuel costs when gas prices are as low as they are right now.



The obvious solution has been for automakers to put diesel engines in their trucks, but with diesel prices being roughly a dollar a gallon more than regular gas, the thinking has changed for now. Instead, Ford has been developing a direct injected, turbocharged V-6, targeted to be more powerful than a V-8 but return better gas mileage.



Such engines are cheaper to develop than diesels, and less than a $1000 more than the cost of a comparable V-8. That thousand bucks buys you more power, expected to top the targets of 340 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque from the 3.5-liter turbo V-6, compared with the 320 and 390 for today's 5.4-liter Triton V-8.



It will also return 15-20 percent better mileage, Ford engineers predict. That extrapolates to 16 mpg city/23 highway for the EcoBoost engine, compared with 13 and 18 for the V-8 today.



Towing and other hard work won't tax the EcoBoost engine, even though conventional wisdom would suggest that a smaller-displacement engine would have to work harder and that a turbocharged engine could be stressed by heavy loads. The direct injection of gasoline has the effect of cooling the combustion chamber, as the fuel absorbs heat when it evaporates. According to an engineer who is developing the EcoBoost F-150, "cooling has not been an issue."



One challenge will be the sound characteristics of a turbo six-cylinder, which will be different from the familiar mellow rumble of a V-8. The company is looking at solutions, including a simplified active sound-cancellation system that will mold the sound waves that emerge from the exhaust pipe, but without a complex closed-loop system using microphones to monitor and adapt to the sounds being produced. The system would instead use a simple data map to know what it should do under different circumstances.



EcoBoost-powered F-150s will arrive in showrooms in 2010 for the 2011 model year.

2009 F-150 fuel efficiency details revealed

Image via WikipediaWe still don't know when it will officially go on sale (maybe in a month or so), but more details of the upcoming F-150 have been revealed, including fuel efficiency ratings. Ford is promising that it will be the most fuel efficient truck in it's class.



Using the tried-and-true fuel-saving techniques of lowering weight and improving aerodynamics, Ford claims the 2009 F-150 models will get, on average, 8%-better fuel economy than their 2008 predecessors. The SFE package will get as much as 21 mpg city with a V-8 engine, which, as full-size-truck drivers know, is a substantial improvement.



"Ford has committed to have the best or equal to the best fuel economy with every new product we introduce, and we are delivering with the new F-150," says Matt O'Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer. "Fuel economy has moved from 10th to third place among pickup buyers' top purchase considerations -- right behind durability and value. The new F-150 delivers on all three as the industry leader."



To maximize your fuel economy with the F-150, you'll want to opt for the SFE package, which stands for "Superior Fuel Economy." The SFE package is available only on the F-150 SuperCrew XL and XLT 2WD models with the 5.5-ft beds. They'll come with a 4.6L three-valve V-8 that's been worked over to squeeze every last bit of efficiency out of it. It will feature a new technology called open-valve injection, which will allow the engine to run more spark advance at high engine speeds and loads and get the most efficiency out of each drop of gas. The engine will also use an aggressive fuel cutoff program that will cut fuel to the engine the instant you take your foot off the gas pedal and turn it back on when the engine reaches a low speed, or when you put your foot back on the gas.



Proprietary Ford software keeps the fuel cutoff and restart smooth, unlike, say, the fuel cutoff when you hit the rev limiter. The SFE also picks up a six-speed transmission, 3.15:1 rear-axle ratio and 18-in. chrome wheels with low rolling-resistance tires. The SFE's drag coefficient has been dropped to 0.403, 6% better than the 2008 F-150. All this is good for 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. Even with the small V-8 and low-ratio rearend, the SFE can still tow up to 7500 lb. The SFE package will be a no-cost option on SuperCrew XLTs, but will cost $1095 on SuperCrew XLs.



Across the entire 2009 F-150 lineup, Ford has switched to lighter-weight ultra-high-strength steel that shaves 100 lb off the curb weight. Every model also features improved aerodynamics, such as a reworked front valence that will improve airflow under the truck. Up top, the rear of the cab has been reworked to smooth out airflow over the bed, and a lip on the top of the tailgate helps direct airflow cleanly off the back of the truck. The larger 5.4L 3-valve V-8 in non-SFE-equipped trucks also gets open-valve injection for maximum power and efficiency, though it isn't clear whether non-SFE equipped trucks will get the six-speed automatic. The 5.4L-equipped trucks will tow up to 11,300 lb and can haul up to 3030 lb in the bed, the best in the class.



Delaying the new F-150 may have aggravated some that were anxiously awaiting it's arrival, but Ford has seemingly done the right thing by fine tuning the truck. With the economy in a state of flux and gas prices still rising, it will be important for the venerable F series to continue to enjoy some success. Even if it's long run as the best selling vehicle in America has finally come to an end.



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