First Look and test drive: 2011 Ford F-150 Eco Boost pickup
The other day my friend and I got to Test Drive the new F-150 FX2 with the new V6 twin turbo Eco Boost engine. The FX2 F-150 that we got to test drive is the same as any FX model pickup but with the addition on the new twin-turbo V6 motor. The new engine features 3.5 liter displacement, 4 valves per cylinder, direct fuel injection which sprays fuel directly on the piston, vvt ( Variable Valve Timing ) on both intake and exhaust camshafts, and twin turbos just to name a few. The reason Ford decided to put this engine in there F-150 line of pickups is an attempt to work towards future fuel economy standards. This Eco Boost engine already resides in Fords Taurus and some Buick vehicles. Usually you would find a V8 as the standard engine in any 1/2 ton pickup but Ford has taken a chance to be the industry leader into the future of more fuel efficient smaller displacement engine vehicles. Besides the F-150 Ford has also opted to use smaller engines with the addition of a turbocharger in some of their other model vehicles. Using a smaller displacement engine will almost certainly guarantee better fuel economy but at the expense of power output. However with the addition of a turbocharger, a mechanical device that uses exhaust energy (waste energy ) and converts is into a positive intake pressure (psi). P.S.I. (pounds per square in) also called turbo boost can then make up for a smaller engine loss in size by forcing air into the engine thus creating a stronger combustion cycle. The use of turbochargers in the automotive passenger vehicle and even sports car market is not a new thing ,but more seldom seen.
The debate within the industry and even Ford Motor Company is.. “Will the consumer market accept the smaller displacement turbo charged engine over the beloved big V8?” We can say that after driving this truck almost any die hard V8 pickup lover will easily change there made up minds. Torque which is the scientific term for the force that actually moves a vehicle is very good from the new Eco Boost engine. We could actually go as far to say that the torque is near brutal in the new F-150 with Eco Boost engine. Depending on how hard and at what speed you hit the gas pedal you can expect an acceleration feeling that no production naturally aspirated v8 will give you. Ford has really made sure that the throttle and power response in the new Eco Boost equipped F-150 will satisfy all and they have accomplished that and more.
On an environmental stand point a smaller displacement engine tends to be more fuel efficient in all aspects of operation. An engine that uses less fuel in turn puts out less Co2 emissions (pollution). When you are driving a vehicle at slow speeds or even at a stop light your vehicle’s engine does not require much if any fuel. So at slower or light load engine conditions it would be best for fuel efficiency sake to have a smaller engine.
In every form of physics for something you gain there will be something you loose. Fortunately for the combustion engine this can be overcome by applying positive intake pressure to compensate for any loss in size. Another way to understand what power a particular engine is capable of producing is that flow equals power. This means a big engine is suppose to make big power because it can suck in more air, use the air for combustion, then expel the leftover waste energy. The turbocharger helps solve the problem of a smaller engine by allowing it to flow more air like that of a bigger engine.