Ford has announced plans to transfer some EcoBoost engine production from Spain to the US. The OEM wants to move production of the 2.0-litre EcoBoost for North America from the Valencia plant to its Cleveland Engine Plant in Ohio. Cleveland was the first plant to make the EcoBoost engine range and is currently Ford’s only EcoBoost facility in North America. The transfer from Spain would put the engines closer to their end market. To prepare for the move, Ford will invest nearly US$200m in the Cleveland facility and add 450 jobs to the current 1,300 workforce.
Valencia, meanwhile, will remain the sole supplier of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost for European-made Ford models and will continue to produce and ship parts for these engines to North America. No jobs are expected to be lost at Valencia, though some workers will be transferred from Valencia’s engine production operations to the Valencia vehicle assembly unit, where Ford is looking to lift output of the C-Max, Kuga, Transit Connect and Tourneo Connect.
Cleveland will start making the North American 2.0-litre EcoBoosts late next year. The engine is currently available in the Ford Explorer, Edge, new Escape, new Fusion, Focus ST, Taurus and new Lincoln MKZ and MKT Livery. In Cleveland it will be built alongside the 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine and 3.7-litre V6 currently made there. Since 2009, the facility has rolled out more than 500,000 3.5-litre EcoBoost engines. Last May it was given a third shift in response to growing demand for vehicles powered by the plant’s two engines, bringing 250 new jobs to the plant (check out the Cleveland production video below).
EcoBoost technology was introduced in 2009 and brings together direct injection and turbocharging for a classic example of extreme downsizing. Ford is relying on the range to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in response to tightening CO2 emissions both in Europe and the US. This year, the manufacturer is looking to lift EcoBoost production to 1.6 million engines, about 100,000 units above the previous target. In North America, the EcoBoost range will be available on more than 90% of Ford’s nameplates this year, rising to 95% by 2015. In the US this year, Ford expects to sell more than 500,000 EcoBoost-equipped vehicles, up from the 334,364 EcoBoost vehicles sold in 2012.
The EcoBoost range is pivotal to Ford’s business targets, as fuel economy takes on an increasingly important role in new car purchase decisions. A recent Ford survey of European consumers found that 71% regard fuel-efficiency a major factor in buying a car. “The majority of car buyers prefer fuel-efficient vehicles, even if only a minority feel they can afford to invest in one given the current economic climate,” said Andreas Ostendorf, Vice President of Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, Ford of Europe. “Through its ECOnetic variants and range of 1.0-litre EcoBoost-equipped vehicles, Ford is ensuring a continued democratisation of mobility as well as providing the right balance between climate protection, social equity and customer acceptance.”
Mike Tinskey, Ford’s Director of Global Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure, has also commented on the importance of offering a range of fuel efficient models: “One of the main pillars of our strategy is to be leaders in fuel economy in every segment where we compete. Between the growth we’re seeing in EcoBoost, the smaller vehicles that we have such as the Fiesta and the Focus and their great sales numbers … we definitely believe that fuel economy is becoming a top seller for our products.”
Megan Lampinen
