Ford Motor Company is doing something incredible with the way its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will recharge. The Ford Hybrids will be intelligent enough to talk directly with the nation's electric grid. The vehicle-to-grid communications are part of a new intelligent control system that Ford is developing.
"Electric vehicles are an important element of our strategy for improving fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions," Ford's executive chairman, Bill Ford, said in a statement. "This vehicle-to-grid communication technology is an important step in the journey toward the widespread commercialization of electric vehicles."
The Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid will eventually be equipped with the vehicle-to-grid communications technology. In fact, the first fleet has already been delivered to the American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio. Other Ford utility partners will also be equipped with the new plug-in electric hybrid technology.
Here's how the new system works. When your vehicle is plugged in, the battery systems will talk directly with the electric grid. This is all done by the vehicle's touch screen navigation interface. You will be able to access the grid to choose when your electric vehicle or car should be recharged. Utility rates are cheaper during off-peak hours between midnight and early morning.
Once you have everything done from the touch screen navigation interface, the vehicle is recharged automatically at a time you specify. This is one of the reasons why Ford is calling it an intelligent smart meter, or communications system. In addition to recharging from home, Ford wants to make it easier to recharge vehicles at other locations.
Some of these other locations include a parking lot or a curbside station. The curbside stations will be available at many locations throughout metropolitan cities and local communities. These are also known as recharging, or refuel stations. They are no larger than a typical parking meter. Consumers can access the national grid by using these public fueling stations.
As the price of gas starts to rise again, consumers will appreciate a cheaper way to refuel their cars. It is only a matter of time before public charging stations are available in your community as utility companies are already preparing for the extra need for electricity. Ford Motor Company is already testing most of these services with new plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) and it's only a matter of time before we see them in the showrooms.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Ford Motor Company Unveils Electric Cars
We all know that Ford Motor Company has been studying new electric cars, but now the automaker is putting its plan into action. The new Ford battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will first be used in a British study by a number of energy companies. Eventually, this technology will be available in the United States on selected Ford Hybrids and automobiles.
"I am absolutely thrilled that Ford and Scottish and Southern Energy have won funding to deliver innovative electric vehicles onto the capital's streets," The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said in a statement.
The fleet also includes the zero emissions Ford Focus BEV prototype, which has is getting support from Scottish and Southern Energy. A number of evaluations will take place in Hillingdon, Middlesex. Johnson said he wants to make London the electric car capital of Europe.
"I want to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe and these trials will provide us with valuable information on what is needed to ensure they can become an everyday choice," Johnson said.
In addition to Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy, Strathclyde University will provide the prototype vehicles and a charging infrastructure in and around Hillingdon from early 2010. Ford of Europe is developing the Focus BEVs prototype to test new technologies that are suitable for future European passenger cars.
The Ford BEV demonstration fleet is also being created with public funding from the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The board promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2. It is also used for future electric vehicle development for the country's transportation system.
"Battery electric vehicles represent an important step in Ford's pursuit of delivering more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions. Ford is looking forward to working with its project partners on developing a viable market for electric vehicles both in the UK and Europe," Ford of Britain chairman Joe Greenwell said in a statement.
This is a huge involvement by Ford and Europe. The Focus prototypes include some of the development work already done with the Ford Tourneo Connect BEV Concept. The Ford Connect BEV was first revealed at this year's Geneva motor show.
"I am absolutely thrilled that Ford and Scottish and Southern Energy have won funding to deliver innovative electric vehicles onto the capital's streets," The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said in a statement.
The fleet also includes the zero emissions Ford Focus BEV prototype, which has is getting support from Scottish and Southern Energy. A number of evaluations will take place in Hillingdon, Middlesex. Johnson said he wants to make London the electric car capital of Europe.
"I want to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe and these trials will provide us with valuable information on what is needed to ensure they can become an everyday choice," Johnson said.
In addition to Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy, Strathclyde University will provide the prototype vehicles and a charging infrastructure in and around Hillingdon from early 2010. Ford of Europe is developing the Focus BEVs prototype to test new technologies that are suitable for future European passenger cars.
The Ford BEV demonstration fleet is also being created with public funding from the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The board promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2. It is also used for future electric vehicle development for the country's transportation system.
"Battery electric vehicles represent an important step in Ford's pursuit of delivering more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions. Ford is looking forward to working with its project partners on developing a viable market for electric vehicles both in the UK and Europe," Ford of Britain chairman Joe Greenwell said in a statement.
This is a huge involvement by Ford and Europe. The Focus prototypes include some of the development work already done with the Ford Tourneo Connect BEV Concept. The Ford Connect BEV was first revealed at this year's Geneva motor show.
Toyota's troubles keep growing
Is it just me, or do the troubles of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. seem more American every day?
Sales are down 34% this year. The automaker lost $4.8 billion in its last fiscal year. The company says it might not be profitable again until 2011. Toyota is now cost-cutting and confronting a list of problems that always seem to catch up with global companies that have been around for a while.
Aside from some troublesome brand problems with Lexus, outlined Sunday by Free Press auto critic Mark Phelan, the automaker is also facing a lawsuit that could be a public relations nightmare for the automaker.
What's more, CBS this weekend reported that a former Toyota attorney is accusing the automaker of illegally withholding evidence in hundreds of rollover death and injury cases, in a "ruthless conspiracy" to hide evidence of "its vehicles' structural shortcomings."
Toyota calls the accusations "inaccurate" and accuses the attorney of violating "his ethical and professional obligations."
But regardless of the truth, it's pesky stories like these that nibble away at a company's image over the long haul.
Plant closure won't help Toyota
Toyota still has a lot of cash to fix its problems, and it was the No. 1 beneficiary of the cash-for-clunkers program. But the automaker's decision last week to close its assembly plant in California is probably not going to help its image matters.
Toyota said it would close its New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Fremont, Calif., in 2010, after General Motors decided to pull out of the 25-year-old joint venture as part of its broad reorganization plan. The NUMMI plant employs 4,500 UAW-represented autoworkers and an estimated 35,000 supplier and other spin-off jobs are expected to be indirectly impacted.
West Coast opportunities
All in all, I'd say Toyota's slippage translates into a grand opportunity for Detroit's automakers in California.
California is the top auto-buying state in the country, largely because of its size and population. So if the Detroit Three are ever going to truly recover in the United States, picking up market share in the Golden State will be critical.
But Detroit's automakers have struggled mightily there for decades.
In many ways, that's the Detroit Three's own fault. They resisted regulatory changes there and too long lagged Japanese automakers in quality and fuel-efficiency.
While the facts have supported a positive shift in the Detroit Three's favor for some time, however, it's been more difficult to make consumers believe.
Given Toyota's stumbles, though, there seems to be an opportunity for the Detroit Three to take back some of the California pie.
Sales are down 34% this year. The automaker lost $4.8 billion in its last fiscal year. The company says it might not be profitable again until 2011. Toyota is now cost-cutting and confronting a list of problems that always seem to catch up with global companies that have been around for a while.
Aside from some troublesome brand problems with Lexus, outlined Sunday by Free Press auto critic Mark Phelan, the automaker is also facing a lawsuit that could be a public relations nightmare for the automaker.
What's more, CBS this weekend reported that a former Toyota attorney is accusing the automaker of illegally withholding evidence in hundreds of rollover death and injury cases, in a "ruthless conspiracy" to hide evidence of "its vehicles' structural shortcomings."
Toyota calls the accusations "inaccurate" and accuses the attorney of violating "his ethical and professional obligations."
But regardless of the truth, it's pesky stories like these that nibble away at a company's image over the long haul.
Plant closure won't help Toyota
Toyota still has a lot of cash to fix its problems, and it was the No. 1 beneficiary of the cash-for-clunkers program. But the automaker's decision last week to close its assembly plant in California is probably not going to help its image matters.
Toyota said it would close its New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Fremont, Calif., in 2010, after General Motors decided to pull out of the 25-year-old joint venture as part of its broad reorganization plan. The NUMMI plant employs 4,500 UAW-represented autoworkers and an estimated 35,000 supplier and other spin-off jobs are expected to be indirectly impacted.
West Coast opportunities
All in all, I'd say Toyota's slippage translates into a grand opportunity for Detroit's automakers in California.
California is the top auto-buying state in the country, largely because of its size and population. So if the Detroit Three are ever going to truly recover in the United States, picking up market share in the Golden State will be critical.
But Detroit's automakers have struggled mightily there for decades.
In many ways, that's the Detroit Three's own fault. They resisted regulatory changes there and too long lagged Japanese automakers in quality and fuel-efficiency.
While the facts have supported a positive shift in the Detroit Three's favor for some time, however, it's been more difficult to make consumers believe.
Given Toyota's stumbles, though, there seems to be an opportunity for the Detroit Three to take back some of the California pie.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor First Drive
Ford SVT engineer Hether Fedullo is effusive. She's explaining to us that the oil in the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor's dampers is a proprietary concoction that resists high temperatures so well that it endured the entire Baja 1000 without succumbing to heat-induced fade. This magic juice alone costs more than an entire conventional damper, and the Raptor has three levels of damping that varies according to shock position.
We must not be driving fast enough, then. Fedullo is wearing a helmet, yet she's managing to conduct this technical seminar from the passenger seat of the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor as we rocket over a rock-strewn desert with knee-high whoops at a speed that would be illegal on any public highway.
This Raptor, then, is clearly a different kind of street-legal pickup truck.
A New Kind of Truck
Prior to the project receiving the green light, the idea of a high-speed off-road truck in the style of a Baja pre-runner was certainly different enough to strike fear into the hearts of certain risk-averse corporate wonks at Ford. Change can be intimidating.
After all, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is not intended to be a typical off-road package; it is meant to offer an unprecedented level of capability without compromising on-road manners. The Raptor is supposed to be a comprehensive rethink of what a pickup can do.
Executing the Raptor's finer points entailed some unconventional approaches by the SVT team. They set up shop in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Southern California, the largest park of its kind in the continental U.S. and ground zero for desert racing, then built a portable shock dyno and got to work.
SVT engineers devised a 62-mile loop here to hone the Raptor's off-road chops, and drove the truck on it for 1,000 miles as one of many durability tests.
Travel, Lots of It
High speed in the desert demands more suspension travel than the base F-150 offers, yet the SVT team could not relocate the existing suspension pickup points of the chassis to get it. If you remember geometry class, however, you know that adding track width will increase suspension travel.
A beefier rear axle with a shorter 4.10:1 axle ratio, new upper control arms and special squeeze-cast aluminum lower front control arms increase the Raptor's track width by 7 inches, resulting in 11.2 inches of front suspension travel and 12.1 inches at the rear. The Raptor sports so much track width that NHTSA essentially classes it as a dually and requires it to wear auxiliary lighting.
All of the bodywork forward of the A-pillars is unique to the Raptor. Whether in person or in photos, the Raptor looks so tough it's as if Clint Eastwood is glaring at you. Everything is functional. The 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires are covered by the meanest-looking fender flares since Robby Gordon's Hummer H2 Paris-Dakar racer. The hood and fender vents are real. Beefy steel skid plates protect the underbody. Even the running boards double as protection from rocks spraying off the front tires.
Damping, Lots of It
Meeting the performance targets for the truck hinged on effective damping, and as development progressed, SVT realized that the traditional OEM damper supplier with which it was working wasn't going to cut it. Jamal Hadeemi, SVT chief engineer and a former race engineer for a Baja Trophy Truck, recalls, "I just went on the Internet and started researching alternatives."
From this grew a partnership with Fox Racing Shox, a California-based manufacturer of dampers for motocross bikes, off-road racing vehicles and even military applications. This odd-couple pairing proved instrumental to the Raptor's success. Fox brought high-end off-road motorsports know-how to Ford's stringent OEM qualification tests for durability and the difficult performance parameters for the Raptor project.
A conventional damper that varies damping force based only on the speed of its internal guts can be dialed in for on- or off-road terrain, but it struggles when tasked with the mission to excel at both. Fox's internal bypass feature — said to be patented — allows damping force to vary based on damper stroke.
As such, the Fox dampers allow a compliant ride around town when only a small portion of the suspension's travel is exercised. Explore the full range of travel by pounding it over some whoops off-road and the dampers progressively firm up to prevent the suspension from bottoming.
Driving, Lots of It
The result is that the Raptor is a revelation off-road. Terrain that would break normal pickups is shrugged off with ease. Rocks, whoops and ruts don't faze it. And the faster you go, the more capable it feels. Powersliding the Raptor through a desert wash, the steering is surprisingly accurate and the brake pedal firm and responsive. You feel invincible in the Raptor.
On the road, the Raptor rides and handles like a well-sorted conventional pickup. It's plush, yet not floaty or pitchy, and body control during cornering is surprisingly good for a tall, 5,863-pound pickup. Those giant tires that you expect to make a deafening roar at speed? Absolutely silent.
Put simply, the Raptor could be enslaved to life as a daily driver on public roads and the owner would be none the wiser to the truck's towering capability. The cabin offers supportive seats and a well-sculpted steering wheel complete with a useful on-center stripe. At the base of the center console is a handy row of four powered and fused switches to control anything from aftermarket lights to a blender.
Tasteless orange interior accents and silly exterior mud graphics are, thankfully, optional.
Powertrain
You'll notice we haven't yet mentioned the powertrain. That's because the chassis is really the Raptor's main event, and the carryover 310-horsepower 5.4-liter three-valve V8 is simply overworked when lashed into the tall and heavy Raptor. Worse yet, the six-speed autobox constantly hunts for gears in a desperate attempt to keep fuel consumption at bay. It's annoying at best.
There's an Off-Road mode that remaps the shift schedule — along with the throttle, ABS and stability control calibrations — but it's still not quite enough to elevate the 5.4-liter past merely adequate. The optional 400-hp 6.2-liter V8, scheduled to arrive in dealers this winter, promises to address this shortcoming.
Easy Decision
All Raptors have the 4x4 Super Cab configuration and are rated to tow 6,000 pounds and offer a 1,000-pound payload capacity. With hill-descent control and an electronically locking rear differential, there's little the Raptor can't do and few places it won't go.
Base price of the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor with the 5.4-liter V8 is $38,995 including destination ($41,995 for 6.2-liter versions), which is roughly $2,500 more than a comparable base F-150 4x4 Super Cab. That's a whole lot of extra capability for not much more dough.
Or you can justify the Raptor another way. Green is in, and the Raptor allows us to explore all those far-flung places we're preserving without needing to pave them first. Share this logic with the Prius weenie that's giving you the stink eye and watch his head explode.
We must not be driving fast enough, then. Fedullo is wearing a helmet, yet she's managing to conduct this technical seminar from the passenger seat of the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor as we rocket over a rock-strewn desert with knee-high whoops at a speed that would be illegal on any public highway.
This Raptor, then, is clearly a different kind of street-legal pickup truck.
A New Kind of Truck
Prior to the project receiving the green light, the idea of a high-speed off-road truck in the style of a Baja pre-runner was certainly different enough to strike fear into the hearts of certain risk-averse corporate wonks at Ford. Change can be intimidating.
After all, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is not intended to be a typical off-road package; it is meant to offer an unprecedented level of capability without compromising on-road manners. The Raptor is supposed to be a comprehensive rethink of what a pickup can do.
Executing the Raptor's finer points entailed some unconventional approaches by the SVT team. They set up shop in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Southern California, the largest park of its kind in the continental U.S. and ground zero for desert racing, then built a portable shock dyno and got to work.
SVT engineers devised a 62-mile loop here to hone the Raptor's off-road chops, and drove the truck on it for 1,000 miles as one of many durability tests.
Travel, Lots of It
High speed in the desert demands more suspension travel than the base F-150 offers, yet the SVT team could not relocate the existing suspension pickup points of the chassis to get it. If you remember geometry class, however, you know that adding track width will increase suspension travel.
A beefier rear axle with a shorter 4.10:1 axle ratio, new upper control arms and special squeeze-cast aluminum lower front control arms increase the Raptor's track width by 7 inches, resulting in 11.2 inches of front suspension travel and 12.1 inches at the rear. The Raptor sports so much track width that NHTSA essentially classes it as a dually and requires it to wear auxiliary lighting.
All of the bodywork forward of the A-pillars is unique to the Raptor. Whether in person or in photos, the Raptor looks so tough it's as if Clint Eastwood is glaring at you. Everything is functional. The 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires are covered by the meanest-looking fender flares since Robby Gordon's Hummer H2 Paris-Dakar racer. The hood and fender vents are real. Beefy steel skid plates protect the underbody. Even the running boards double as protection from rocks spraying off the front tires.
Damping, Lots of It
Meeting the performance targets for the truck hinged on effective damping, and as development progressed, SVT realized that the traditional OEM damper supplier with which it was working wasn't going to cut it. Jamal Hadeemi, SVT chief engineer and a former race engineer for a Baja Trophy Truck, recalls, "I just went on the Internet and started researching alternatives."
From this grew a partnership with Fox Racing Shox, a California-based manufacturer of dampers for motocross bikes, off-road racing vehicles and even military applications. This odd-couple pairing proved instrumental to the Raptor's success. Fox brought high-end off-road motorsports know-how to Ford's stringent OEM qualification tests for durability and the difficult performance parameters for the Raptor project.
A conventional damper that varies damping force based only on the speed of its internal guts can be dialed in for on- or off-road terrain, but it struggles when tasked with the mission to excel at both. Fox's internal bypass feature — said to be patented — allows damping force to vary based on damper stroke.
As such, the Fox dampers allow a compliant ride around town when only a small portion of the suspension's travel is exercised. Explore the full range of travel by pounding it over some whoops off-road and the dampers progressively firm up to prevent the suspension from bottoming.
Driving, Lots of It
The result is that the Raptor is a revelation off-road. Terrain that would break normal pickups is shrugged off with ease. Rocks, whoops and ruts don't faze it. And the faster you go, the more capable it feels. Powersliding the Raptor through a desert wash, the steering is surprisingly accurate and the brake pedal firm and responsive. You feel invincible in the Raptor.
On the road, the Raptor rides and handles like a well-sorted conventional pickup. It's plush, yet not floaty or pitchy, and body control during cornering is surprisingly good for a tall, 5,863-pound pickup. Those giant tires that you expect to make a deafening roar at speed? Absolutely silent.
Put simply, the Raptor could be enslaved to life as a daily driver on public roads and the owner would be none the wiser to the truck's towering capability. The cabin offers supportive seats and a well-sculpted steering wheel complete with a useful on-center stripe. At the base of the center console is a handy row of four powered and fused switches to control anything from aftermarket lights to a blender.
Tasteless orange interior accents and silly exterior mud graphics are, thankfully, optional.
Powertrain
You'll notice we haven't yet mentioned the powertrain. That's because the chassis is really the Raptor's main event, and the carryover 310-horsepower 5.4-liter three-valve V8 is simply overworked when lashed into the tall and heavy Raptor. Worse yet, the six-speed autobox constantly hunts for gears in a desperate attempt to keep fuel consumption at bay. It's annoying at best.
There's an Off-Road mode that remaps the shift schedule — along with the throttle, ABS and stability control calibrations — but it's still not quite enough to elevate the 5.4-liter past merely adequate. The optional 400-hp 6.2-liter V8, scheduled to arrive in dealers this winter, promises to address this shortcoming.
Easy Decision
All Raptors have the 4x4 Super Cab configuration and are rated to tow 6,000 pounds and offer a 1,000-pound payload capacity. With hill-descent control and an electronically locking rear differential, there's little the Raptor can't do and few places it won't go.
Base price of the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor with the 5.4-liter V8 is $38,995 including destination ($41,995 for 6.2-liter versions), which is roughly $2,500 more than a comparable base F-150 4x4 Super Cab. That's a whole lot of extra capability for not much more dough.
Or you can justify the Raptor another way. Green is in, and the Raptor allows us to explore all those far-flung places we're preserving without needing to pave them first. Share this logic with the Prius weenie that's giving you the stink eye and watch his head explode.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Best Buy and Ford
Earlier this month Best Buy trained all their employees on Ford's SYNC trchnology. Every Best Buy is now prepared to help new Ford owners find the exact phone that best fits their needs based on the SYNC feature compatibility of each handset. Best Buy now carries over 120 different mobile phone handests representing 10 different carriers!
The goal is to eliminate or reduce any pains that dealerships may have when dealing with a Ford customer that loves the SYNC technology but owns a mobile phone that has limited SYNC compatibility. In many locations Best buy will be offering SYNC customers that purchase a phone from Best Buy Mobile a free "walk out Working" experience where Best Buy will pair the customer's phone to the vehicle, download the customer's phone book (if possible) and demonstrate the basic features.
The goal is to eliminate or reduce any pains that dealerships may have when dealing with a Ford customer that loves the SYNC technology but owns a mobile phone that has limited SYNC compatibility. In many locations Best buy will be offering SYNC customers that purchase a phone from Best Buy Mobile a free "walk out Working" experience where Best Buy will pair the customer's phone to the vehicle, download the customer's phone book (if possible) and demonstrate the basic features.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost Test Drive and Review
I like the Ford Flex. It’s a cool-looking crossover with a great interior. My biggest problems with the Flex when it came out as a 2009 model were fuel economy and lackluster performance. So, when Ford invited me out to Boulder, Colorado to test drive the 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost, I was intrigued. Would direct injection change my mind about Flex? Let’s drive.
First Glance – Carburetion vs. Fuel Injection vs. Direct Injection
You’re going to be hearing a lot about direct injection in the coming months and years. It’s the latest in fuel delivery systems for internal combustion engines, and it promises greater efficiency and more power from the same fuel. I’m no engineer, but here’s how I understand it: Gas engines used to have carburetors, which regulated the mixture of fuel and air that went into the combustion chamber. These fairly simple devices grew more complicated as engine technology got more sophisticated. With the advent of catalytic converters, carburetors were replaced by fuel injection systems, which provided much more precise control over fuel flow by spraying fuel directly at the intake valve. A fuel injector is an electronically controlled valve that can open and close many times per second. The fuel injection system includes the injectors, pumps and sensors that report back to the electronic control unit (ECU), which in turn regulates the flow of fuel. The big advantages over carburetion are greater control, and the ability to change the rate of flow in response to conditions and demand.
Direct injection takes the concept of fuel injection one step further, increasing the pressure that fuel is injected into the engine. Instead of being injected into the intake valve, fuel is atomized and injected directly into the combustion chamber. The fuel can burn more fully, and more energy can be extracted from each drop of gasoline. So, you can get more power with greater fuel efficiency from a smaller engine that uses direct injection.
In the Driver’s Seat – The Boost is Back
The Ford EcoBoost engine takes the direct injection concept, and applies twin turbos to it. Turbochargers use exhaust gas to force compressed air into the engine, which boosts engine performance without a substantial penalty to efficiency. The two turbos on the EcoBoost are water cooled, which Ford claims will help with long-term durability.
So, how does it all work? Ford’s goal was V8 performance with the fuel economy of a V6. Does 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, with 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway with AWD sound like “Mission Accomplished”? Performance is about more than the numbers, which is why we actually drive these SUVs before reviewing them.
I drove the Flex on two stretches – first, a fuel economy challenge from the Denver Airport to the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Bolder, Colorado, a distance of about 45 miles, mostly freeway. I drove very conservatively, keeping the speedo at 55 and using the cruise control, and the Flex’s trip computer reported that I achieved 26.2 miles per gallon. While hardly a scientific test, I was still impressed with the result.
My second stretch was from Boulder (elevation 5344) to Estes Park, Colorado (elevation 7522). Direct injection with twin turbochargers simply eats up the road. Passing slower traffic is a breeze. There’s no hint of turbo lag (the pause in action before the turbo spools up to speed), and power delivery is smooth and linear. It really does feel like a V8. It doesn’t sound like a V8, though. It doesn’t sound bad, but it still sounds like a V6.
On the Road – Towing a Trailer
While we were in Estes Park, Ford set up the opportunity for us to tow a trailer with the Flex, which can be equipped with a Class III hitch and Trailer Sway Control. The towing limit is 4,500 lbs, which is a lot for a crossover. Because we were on public roads, I didn’t get the chance to really swerve and see how well Flex handled the load, but it seemed truly easy to tow with the Flex. If you regularly tow small loads, like a motorboat or small camper, you now have a viable crossover option to the big SUV or pickup truck you thought you had to drive.
I’m still underwhelmed by Flex’s driving dynamics on an everyday basis. I was pleased by the addition of a tilt/telescope feature for the steering column, but I found the feel of the electrically-assisted power steering to be a little numb. Despite the additional power, Flex is still a very staid ride, more of a family hauler than a hot rod – not a criticism, just an observation and categorization. As a matter of taste, I prefer an SUV that’s a little lighter on its feet, a little more responsive than the Flex. But I would not hesitate to take a Flex on a cross-country drive – it would be a great road trip SUV.
Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) has allowed Ford to show off with a cool optional ($550) feature: Active Park Assist (APA). It uses sensors to parallel park the Flex automatically. If you’ve tried Lexus’ Advanced Parking system, you’ll be blown away by Flex’s system, which is faster, easier to use, and just plain better than the Lexus system.
Journey’s End
Last year, I declared Flex “Right crossover, wrong time.” With base prices ranging from $28,495 for the base SE model to $31,270 for the SEL to $37,165 for the loaded Limited (plus options), the Flex is pretty competitively priced. But an EcoBoost engine is only available in the SEL (starting at $39,940) and Limited (starting at $43,580), creeping dangerously close to luxury prices.
If you liked the Flex’s styling from the outset, and were just looking for more performance and some smart upgrades, the Flex EcoBoost may answer your objections. I can’t wait to see how this engine gets applied to future crossovers and SUVs, and how the technology gets applied to future engines. Hey, if they can squeeze V8 performance out of a V6, imagine what kind of performance they can wring from a V8.
First Glance – Carburetion vs. Fuel Injection vs. Direct Injection
You’re going to be hearing a lot about direct injection in the coming months and years. It’s the latest in fuel delivery systems for internal combustion engines, and it promises greater efficiency and more power from the same fuel. I’m no engineer, but here’s how I understand it: Gas engines used to have carburetors, which regulated the mixture of fuel and air that went into the combustion chamber. These fairly simple devices grew more complicated as engine technology got more sophisticated. With the advent of catalytic converters, carburetors were replaced by fuel injection systems, which provided much more precise control over fuel flow by spraying fuel directly at the intake valve. A fuel injector is an electronically controlled valve that can open and close many times per second. The fuel injection system includes the injectors, pumps and sensors that report back to the electronic control unit (ECU), which in turn regulates the flow of fuel. The big advantages over carburetion are greater control, and the ability to change the rate of flow in response to conditions and demand.
Direct injection takes the concept of fuel injection one step further, increasing the pressure that fuel is injected into the engine. Instead of being injected into the intake valve, fuel is atomized and injected directly into the combustion chamber. The fuel can burn more fully, and more energy can be extracted from each drop of gasoline. So, you can get more power with greater fuel efficiency from a smaller engine that uses direct injection.
In the Driver’s Seat – The Boost is Back
The Ford EcoBoost engine takes the direct injection concept, and applies twin turbos to it. Turbochargers use exhaust gas to force compressed air into the engine, which boosts engine performance without a substantial penalty to efficiency. The two turbos on the EcoBoost are water cooled, which Ford claims will help with long-term durability.
So, how does it all work? Ford’s goal was V8 performance with the fuel economy of a V6. Does 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, with 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway with AWD sound like “Mission Accomplished”? Performance is about more than the numbers, which is why we actually drive these SUVs before reviewing them.
I drove the Flex on two stretches – first, a fuel economy challenge from the Denver Airport to the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Bolder, Colorado, a distance of about 45 miles, mostly freeway. I drove very conservatively, keeping the speedo at 55 and using the cruise control, and the Flex’s trip computer reported that I achieved 26.2 miles per gallon. While hardly a scientific test, I was still impressed with the result.
My second stretch was from Boulder (elevation 5344) to Estes Park, Colorado (elevation 7522). Direct injection with twin turbochargers simply eats up the road. Passing slower traffic is a breeze. There’s no hint of turbo lag (the pause in action before the turbo spools up to speed), and power delivery is smooth and linear. It really does feel like a V8. It doesn’t sound like a V8, though. It doesn’t sound bad, but it still sounds like a V6.
On the Road – Towing a Trailer
While we were in Estes Park, Ford set up the opportunity for us to tow a trailer with the Flex, which can be equipped with a Class III hitch and Trailer Sway Control. The towing limit is 4,500 lbs, which is a lot for a crossover. Because we were on public roads, I didn’t get the chance to really swerve and see how well Flex handled the load, but it seemed truly easy to tow with the Flex. If you regularly tow small loads, like a motorboat or small camper, you now have a viable crossover option to the big SUV or pickup truck you thought you had to drive.
I’m still underwhelmed by Flex’s driving dynamics on an everyday basis. I was pleased by the addition of a tilt/telescope feature for the steering column, but I found the feel of the electrically-assisted power steering to be a little numb. Despite the additional power, Flex is still a very staid ride, more of a family hauler than a hot rod – not a criticism, just an observation and categorization. As a matter of taste, I prefer an SUV that’s a little lighter on its feet, a little more responsive than the Flex. But I would not hesitate to take a Flex on a cross-country drive – it would be a great road trip SUV.
Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) has allowed Ford to show off with a cool optional ($550) feature: Active Park Assist (APA). It uses sensors to parallel park the Flex automatically. If you’ve tried Lexus’ Advanced Parking system, you’ll be blown away by Flex’s system, which is faster, easier to use, and just plain better than the Lexus system.
Journey’s End
Last year, I declared Flex “Right crossover, wrong time.” With base prices ranging from $28,495 for the base SE model to $31,270 for the SEL to $37,165 for the loaded Limited (plus options), the Flex is pretty competitively priced. But an EcoBoost engine is only available in the SEL (starting at $39,940) and Limited (starting at $43,580), creeping dangerously close to luxury prices.
If you liked the Flex’s styling from the outset, and were just looking for more performance and some smart upgrades, the Flex EcoBoost may answer your objections. I can’t wait to see how this engine gets applied to future crossovers and SUVs, and how the technology gets applied to future engines. Hey, if they can squeeze V8 performance out of a V6, imagine what kind of performance they can wring from a V8.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Ford Fiesta Wins Rally Gold at the X-Games
The most recent installment is the car's participation in the 2009 X-Games. Decked out in full rally regalia, the Ford Fiesta managed to take home the gold at the hands of former Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack. Another similarly-prepared Fiesta won the bronze with Tanner Foust at the wheel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg){kind=small}
Posts
