Today, we have the technologies to make engines that are faster and more eco-friendly. In this regard, Ford introduced into the market a list of four and six cylinder gasoline engines that are known to reduce carbon emissions significantly while also boosting fuel efficiency.
The engine is better than the traditional hybrid engines that are pricier and lack the kind of engine performance demanded by most motorists.
The Ford engine leverage on existing gasoline engines and makes them more efficient. In a world where the cost of gasoline keeps rising it is imperative that you look for innovative ways to save a few dollars.
Company overview
The Ford eco boost consists of up to 128 patents. The Eco Boost is available across various ford lineups. The use of turbocharging and direct injection fuel has led to the design of smaller engines that are more efficient while at the same time being affordable.
Direct fuel injection system has the benefit of producing a more denser charge that is cooler hence leading to fuel savings while boasting performance. Turbocharging ensures you can safely recycle the exhaust waste gases for more horsepower.
The Ford lineup of products consists of a 237 HP, 2.0 liter engine that runs on an inline four cylinder engine or you can go with the V6 Ecoboost 365 horsepower 3.5 liter engine that is available to the Ford Taurus, Flex, and Lincoln.
When compared to other V6 and V8 engines these engines are able to deliver over 10 to 20 percent more fuel efficiency. Ford also have an engine for their four wheel cars in a new V6 3.5 liter Eco boost engine. This engine is being introduced into new generation F-150 cars.
If you look at the torque delivered by the engine to a typical V8 4.6 liter engine, you see that the 3.5 liter ecoboost delivers 340 or more torque when compared to the 4.6 liter 270 to 310. That’s not all. You also get 15 percent less carbon emissions.
One of the benefits of using the Eco boost engines is that they are fuel efficient no matter the kind of driving conditions you go to or your driving skills. You can use them on the highways or city traffic and still get to enjoy fuel efficiency.
How do the Ford Eco Boost engines work?
Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT)
The internal combustion engine is powered through the prober ignition of the air/fuel mixture. Fuel and air have to be introduced to the chambers at the right moment so that they can be ignited by the spark plugs.
The camshaft is responsible for the opening and closing of the valves. You can have two types of engines sohc and dohc. In the first instance, the sohc engine uses a single camshaft to control both the intake and exhaust valves while the dohc uses double camshafts that can hold more valves.
The later has capacity of producing more power as you can fit up to four valves – intake and exhaust – per cylinder. Ford Eco Boost uses a special timing technology to help the valve opening and closing.
This means the engines produce more torque without compromising on fuel efficiency. Since the exhaust valves are well controlled your car produces less carbon emissions making it environmentally friendly.
Turbocharged performance
The internal combustion engine produces a lot of heat. Most of this heat goes to waste through the exhaust while the coolant circulating through the engine cools off some of it.
Ford Eco Boost introduced a turbocharge to leverage on some of this excessive heat from the exhaust gases and re-introduce them back to the combustion chamber.
To maximize on the resulting horsepower, the eco boost engine will come with a compressor that pressurize these exhaust gases as they enter the combustion chambers. You will notice that you are spending less per liter of fuel but have higher power output.
Direct fuel injection
To help maximize output, the Ford Eco boost comes with a direct injection line that delivers a fine fuel mist at the right moment in the combustion chambers. This means you spend less on fuel but experience increased engine performance.
Tips on improving gas mileage
While Ford has developed an innovative technology to boost fuel economy and horsepower, there some tips can follow to improve your gas mileage. If you use your car every day to get to work then fuel costs is a major cause of concern.
Be gentle with the gas pedal
Most motorists relish the prospect of driving their cars fast. I mean it’s what cars are made of – they desire to unleash all that raw horsepower on the road. The downside of all this is you will be burning more fuel as you turn your passenger car into a racing one.
You also will notice a spike in your maintenance costs as your tires suffer, the brake pads get worn out faster and lets not forget all that pressure on the engine parts. If you want to enjoy fuel savings take it easy on the gas pedal.
The same applies to the brakes. You do not need to race short distances than have the car come to a complete halt immediately. If you want to have a fuel efficient car that has low maintenance costs then practice slow acceleration.
Do not carry excess baggage
Fuel economy is also related to how many pounds you have loaded on your car. Some people have the habit of turning their passenger cars into cargo trucks.
They will overload and carry more than the recommended passenger number. When you have excess weight then it puts more pressure on your car’s engine hence it consumes more fuel.
You should use the gross vehicle weight rating to get an average number of pounds that you should carry. Remember carrying excess passengers is even illegal in most states.
Reduce drag
This relates what you have on your roof top. Having a car roof rack enables you to carry some extra weight for a weekend camping trip but this comes with a negative effect on fuel economy.
To reduce drag you should choose to have the rack behind the car boot. Drag reduces the aerodynamics of the car hence making the engine work more.
Properly inflated tires
This is one of the simplest but yet most ignored way to improve fuel economy. When you have improperly inflated tires it means your tires are facing more resistance hence you spend more on fuel.
You should not second guess on the tire pressure. Your car manual will have recommendations as to the right tire pressure. Maintain this at all time. Most fuel stations have tire pressure points and it is free to have your tire pressure checked.
It is also important to check the thread wear for your tires. Good tires increase the traction of the tires to the road surface.
Conclusion
The Ford Eco Boost is an ideal engine that is meant to improve engine performance while at the same time lead to fuel efficiencies.
It uses a system of direct fuel line, turbochargers and Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) to ensure your car is super-efficient. With the rising costs of gasoline having a Ford Eco Boost car is the ideal fuel saver.
