For the third year running, Ford’s 1.0-Liter Ecoboost engine has been named International Engine of the Year at the Engine Expo in Stuttgard, Germany. The diminutive engine, the size of which allows it to fit handily in an aircraft’s overhead stowage bin, was praised by judges as “one of the finest examples of powertrain engineering,” even when places against other offerings by premium and supercar brands. The engine, which is produced in Cologne, Germany; Craiova, Romania; and Chongqing, China, gives superb fuel-efficiency without sacrificing the power and zippiness necessary for both highway and city driving.
The technology behind this amazing engine gives it astounding performance. Already available with 100 PS and 125 PS, Ford recently debuted a new 140 PS version of the engine in the new Fiesta Red Edition and Fiesta Black Edition models; the most powerful volume production 1.0-litre road cars ever, achieving 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 9 seconds, a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph) and delivering 4.5 l/100 km (62.8 mpg) and 104 g/km CO2.
“To deliver the complete package of eye-popping fuel economy, surprising performance, quietness and refinement we knew this little 1.0-litre engine would have to be a game-changer,” said Bob Fascetti, vice president, Ford Powertrain Engineering. “Through our One Ford approach to development, EcoBoost continues to set the benchmark for power combined with fuel efficiency from a small petrol engine.”
The engine’s compact, low-inertia turbocharger spins at up to 248,000 rpm – more than 4,000 times per second and almost twice the maximum rpm of the turbochargers powering 2014 F1 race car engines.
The 140 PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine’s turbocharger delivers 1.6 bar (24 psi) of boost pressure. Peak firing pressure of 124 bar (1,800 psi) is equivalent to a five-ton African elephant standing on the piston.
Engine friction is reduced by specially coated pistons, low tension piston rings, low friction crank seals and a cam-belt-in-oil design. A variable displacement oil pump tailors lubrication to demand and optimizes oil pressure, for improved fuel efficiency.