Archive for May, 2009

22
May
09

Ford starts EcoBoost production in Cleveland

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Enviromental, Flex, Future Vehicles, Hybrids, Lincoln Mercury, MKS, Quality, Taurus, ecoboost, fuel efficiency, mkt and production line

On the same day that President Obama announced tough new CAFE standards for new cars in the coming half-decade, Ford began production of its new, more efficient EcoBoost engine in Ohio. As Green Car Advisor says, Ford couldn’t have picked a better day. The new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine will first make its way into the Ford Flex, Ford Taurus SHO, Lincoln MKS sedan and Lincoln MKT crossover vehicles. The turbocharged engines deliver a fuel economy boost of around 20 percent without an expensive hybrid powertrain. Ford says that 90 percent of its models will be available with EcoBoost engines by 2013.

Production started yesterday at the Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1, located in Brook Park, Ohio. This plant first opened in 1951 and currently employs 250 people. Ford announced that the plant, which had been closed since 2007, would be reopened to build the EcoBoost engines back in February. Read more about the EcoBoost technology here and here and after the jump.

Continue reading ‘Ford starts EcoBoost production in Cleveland’
18
May
09

Ford add EcoBoost engine to its flagship Lincoln

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Enviromental, Future Vehicles, Green, Lincoln Mercury, MKS, ecoboost and fuel efficiency

With the addition of the all-new EcoBoost engine, the new 2010 Lincoln MKS feature a powertrain that produces a combination of V-8 power and V-6 fuel economy.

The new Lincoln MKS is the first Ford Motor Company vehicle to introduce a premium twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine for the 2010 model year. By 2013, more than 90 percent of Ford’s North American nameplates will be available with EcoBoost technology.

“We are committed to delivering fuel economy leadership in every new vehicle,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. “We do this with affordable technology that can be applied to the widest number of vehicles. EcoBoost is an important component of that goal.

“The beauty of EcoBoost is that it enables us to downsize for fuel efficiency, yet boost for power. We’re able to decrease the size of the available engine – such as installing a V-6 versus a V-8 – yet boost the power using turbocharging to deliver similar power and torque of that larger engine.”

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 of the all-wheel-drive 2010 Lincoln MKS produces 355 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 ft.-lb. of torque from 1,500 to 5,250 rpm and can be run on regular fuel. The Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost will deliver at least 17 mpg city and at least 24 mpg highway.

Standard on Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost are 19-inch premium painted aluminium wheels, steering-wheel paddle shifters, six-speed SelectShift AutomaticTM transmission, all-wheel drive, Intelligent Access with Push Button Start, ambient lighting, adaptive HID headlamps with Auto Highbeam, rain-sensing wipers and rear-window power sunshade.

The EcoBoost program is part of Ford’s ongoing and wide-ranging initiative to deliver innovative fuel-efficient powertrain systems with horsepower and torque performance found in larger-displacement engines.

“Our EcoBoost engines offer more power and better fuel economy,” said Brett Hinds, EcoBoost design manager. “It’s all part of Ford’s strategy to bring adaptable powertrain technology to all kinds of vehicles and all kinds of lifestyles. This technology is affordable and applicable to all gasoline engines.”

source: www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk

11
May
09

Ford Truck Plant to Build Electric Cars

By Ron Olson 1 Comment
Categories: Enviromental, Focus, Future Vehicles, Green, Hybrids, Public Affairs, Transit Connect, fuel efficiency, production line and van

Amidst one of the auto industry’s largest wholesale shifts in modern history, the Ford Motor Company is investing $550 million to turn a factory that was dedicated to making large and fuel-hungry sport utility vehicles into a modern and scalable small-car plant that will eventually produce an all-electric version of the Focus.

The Michigan Assembly Plant, known as one of the world’s most profitable manufacturing sites during the S.U.V. boom of the 1990s, was once the hub for the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The plant is expected to begin building the new Ford Focus next year, followed by production of the all-electric Focus in 2011.

The electric Focus will be Ford’s first all-electric passenger car for the mass market. In addition to the electric Focus, the company plans to sell an electric version of its Transit Connect commercial vehicle in 2010.

Ford has previously promised that they will deliver four new electric vehicles to the American market by 2012.

“The transformation of the Michigan Assembly Plant embodies the larger transformation under way at Ford,” said Ford’s president and chief executive, Alan Mulally, in a statement. “This is about investing in modern, efficient and flexible American manufacturing. It is about fuel economy and the electrification of vehicles.”

The electric Focus is part of a larger strategy announced by Ford in January to develop electric vehicles for North America quickly using its global reach and capability to keep the cars affordable.

In addition to the Michigan Assembly Plant, Ford is retooling two other factories to build new cars in the face of global market changes. The company’s Cuautitlán Assembly plant in Mexico is slated to begin building the new Fiesta subcompact early next year, and its Louisville Assembly plant in Kentucky is also expected to begin producing small vehicles based on the Focus platform beginning in 2011.

“We’re changing from a company focused mainly on trucks and SUVs to a company with a balanced product lineup that includes even more high-quality, fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and all-electric vehicles,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas. “As customers move to more fuel-efficient vehicles, we’ll be there with more of the products they really want.”

11
May
09

Lincoln MKZ beats Lexus, Cadillac with more Standard Safety Features

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Lincoln Mercury, MKZ, Quality, Sync and safety

lincoln

The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features than its Lexus and Cadillac competitors and further solidifies Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks.

DETAILS:
The structure of the Lincoln MKZ helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.

The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Front and side-protection elements on the Lincoln MKZ include:

    * The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
    * Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip;
    * Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
    * Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
    * Front-seat side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.

Continue reading ‘Lincoln MKZ beats Lexus, Cadillac with more Standard Safety Features’

08
May
09

LINCOLN MKZ EARNS TOP SAFETY PICK; EXTENDS FORD’S INDUSTRY LEAD IN CRASH RATINGS

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: IIHS, Lincoln Mercury, MKZ and safety

SUMMARY:

  • The new 2010 Lincoln MKZ luxury midsize sedan received a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
  • Ford Motor Company holds more IIHS Top Safety Pick ratings than any other automaker and more U.S. government 5-star-rated vehicles than any brand
  • The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features – including a first-in-class Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA) – than the Lexus ES350 and Cadillac CTS
BACKGROUND:

The new 2010 Lincoln MKZ luxury midsize sedan – arriving in dealerships now – is giving Lincoln showrooms another boost after earning a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features than its Lexus and Cadillac competitors and further solidifies Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks.

DETAILS:

The structure of the Lincoln MKZ helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.

The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Front and side-protection elements on the Lincoln MKZ include:

  • The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
  • Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip;
  • Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
  • Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
  • Front-seat side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.
Segment-exclusive features
The new Lincoln MKZ also offers segment-exclusive features, including:

  • First-in-class Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), which makes navigating traffic and parking lots safer and easier.
  • AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, which comes standard on all Lincoln vehicles, can predict the vehicle’s intentions using a sensor to detect and measure over-steer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help keep the car tracking safely on its intended path.
  • Optional SYNC® with 911 AssistTM. When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, the system is ready to assist in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator in the event of an air bag-deploying accident. The key advantage of SYNC 911 Assist is speed, as calls are placed directly to local 911 operators.
  • SOS Post Crash Alert System, which activates the horn, emergency flashers, automatically unlocks doors and turns on the interior/puddle lamps when an air bag is deployed. The system activates the emergency flashers when a spinout is detected.

Additional standard safety features on the Lincoln MKZ include:

  • Ford’s Personal Safety System®. This suite of safety features includes safety belt pretensioners, load-limiting retractors, dual-stage front air bags, driver-seat-position sensing and crash-severity sensing.
  • Ford’s BeltMinder™ system. If the driver or front passenger remains unbuckled, the system chimes and flashes a warning lamp for six seconds every 30 seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first.
  • LATCH. The Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren system provides convenient mounting points for compatible child seats.
Top Safety Pick Requirements
To earn a Top Safety Pick rating, a vehicle must receive a rating of “good” in offset frontal impact, side impact and rear impact evaluations and offer electronic stability control.

Continue reading ‘LINCOLN MKZ EARNS TOP SAFETY PICK; EXTENDS FORD’S INDUSTRY LEAD IN CRASH RATINGS’

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