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As with other car manufacturers, Ford can be considered an automaker that spends a lot of time and money researching and developing all sorts of interesting technologies that make their way into future models.
From the QuickClear heated front windscreen to adaptive lighting, Ford adds all sorts of useful features to the cars that they produce. These days, the latest technologies from the American car manufacturer come in the form of ECOnetic technology.
What is Ford’s ‘ECOnetic technologyâ?
According to Ford, ECOnetic Technology refers to a collective group of car features and technologies which have been developed for the purposes of increasing fuel economy, lowering CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, with a view to lowering the overall cost of ownership for motorists who choose to buy Ford cars.
They say that these technologies represent a fine balance of technology and money-saving without compromising on quality, efficiency, or driving dynamics. Here is the lowdown on Ford’s ECOnetic technology:
EcoBoost
This is the name given to the firm’s range of turbocharged petrol engines which offer motorists a fine mix of power and torque along with reduced CO2 emissions and better fuel economy.
For example, on the Ford Focus one of the engine choices is a 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine which, as strange as it may sound, offers the same power output as a traditional 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine!
Ford also claim that this particular 1.0-litre engine also uses 20% less fuel than the older 1.6-litre engine, with a fuel efficiency that gives diesel engines a run for their money. Ford models such as the Focus with EcoBoost engines are becoming an extremely popular choice with motorists, according to Ford dealer Lifestyle Europe.
For those who want to buy a C-Max, there is a choice of EcoBoost engines available, such as the 1.6-litre EcoBoost which boasts a power output of 148 brake horsepower yet offers a combined fuel economy of 45.6 MPG!
PowerShift
Gone are the days of standard 3 and 4-speed automatic transmissions thanks to the new state-of-the-art PowerShift transmissions offered as options on many Ford models. It is a dual-clutch, 6-speed automatic transmission which has been designed to select appropriate gears for drivers with almost military precision.
Some automatic transmissions can be somewhat jerky and rough when they change gear, but thanks to the highly-optimised gear shifting in the PowerShift transmission, you won’t suffer such âquirks’ that were commonplace in older models with standard automatic transmissions.
One major downside to automatic transmissions has always been the fact that fuel economy and power have suffered, but the clever design of the PowerShift transmission means that you don’t suffer the transmission losses of traditional automatic gearboxes which can cause you to use more fuel.
Smart Regenerative Charging
A cool ECOnetic technology used by Ford is smart regenerative charging. Similar to what is used with electric cars, for example, it converts the energy produced when you brake into electricity, which is then used for keeping your car’s battery charged up!
