Advanced Technology Surrounds You at the Ford Motor Company Stand at 2008 Auto China

BEIJING, 19 April, 2008 – As a world leader in the automotive industry during the past century, Ford has developed and introduced many technologies to mass production, thereby, making leading-edge technology accessible to millions of consumers.

Highlights:
* Ford Motor Company displays at Auto China 2008 several significant technologies that will make the modern car more fuel efficient with additional benefit of producing fewer emissions and CO2
* The new GETRAG-Ford PowerShift system combines the smoothness of an automatic with the fuel efficiency, low emissions and responsiveness of a manual gearbox, and reduces fuel consumption by around 10 percent
* Ford EcoBoost Engine Technology combines turbocharging and direct gasoline injection technology and delivers up to 20 percent better fuel economy while giving customers superior performance

The pace is quickening. At this year's Auto China motor show, Ford will display several significant technologies that will directly benefit you, reduce environmental impact and continue to make Ford vehicles exciting to drive and desirable.

Some of these advanced technologies will make the modern car more fuel efficient with additional benefit of producing fewer emissions and CO2.

Advanced technology has changed our world, and it continues to have a direct, beneficial impact on the automotive industry. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but today at Auto China, Ford Motor Company will introduce to you a few very smart technologies.

1) GETRAG-Ford PowerShift System
If the engine is the heart and soul of an automobile, then the transmission must be the brains. And the new GETRAG-Ford PowerShift system is very clever.

The PowerShift is an all-new double clutch six-speed automatic transmission developed by GETRAG-Ford Transmission GmbH, a 50:50 Ford/GETRAG joint venture. The PowerShift transmission is available in Europe, and its first application is with Ford's 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine.

The new, more efficient transmission technology will become available in other markets in combination with Ford's modern high-performance diesel engine.

Ford's new PowerShift gearbox combines the smoothness of an automatic with the fuel efficiency, low emissions and responsiveness of a manual gearbox. Don't underestimate the significance of this technology, nor its win-win ability to reduce fuel consumption while improving performance.

With increased efficiency and reduced loss of torque, the new PowerShift transmission reduces fuel consumption by around 10 percent when compared to a conventional six-speed automatic transmission. And less fuel use equates to a direct reduction in CO2 output.
As well as providing you with a comfortable and hassle-free driving experience, the PowerShift System delivers superior fuel economy. More performance, less emission – PowerShift is clever technology.

2) Ford EcoBoost Engine Technology
EcoBoost is a near-future engine technology with enormous potential. This new engine technology will be applied to four-cylinder and six-cylinder gasoline engines and will delivery up to 20 percent better fuel economy while giving customers superior performance.

EcoBoost is an affordable engine technology that combines turbocharging and direct gasoline injection technology. “EcoBoost is meaningful because it can be applied across a wide variety of engine types in a range of vehicles, from small cars to large trucks – and it’s affordable,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development.

Ford will introduce EcoBoost to North America in 2009. By 2013, Ford predicts more that half a million EcoBoost-powered vehicles will be sold annually in North America.

Consistent, near-peak torque delivery across a wide engine operating range and fuel efficiency are the key advantages to EcoBoost technology.

For example, Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 can deliver upwards of 460Nm of torque from 2000 to 5000rpm versus 360 to 420Nm of torque for a conventional naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V8 over the same speed range. All the while, the EcoBoost V6 gives customers an approximate 2 mpg improvement and emits fewer – by about 15 percent – CO2 emissions.

3) Ford Explorer America Concept
Beneath its conceptual skin, Explorer America Concept showcases quite a few technological innovations. One of which is EcoBoost.
As a medium-size SUV, the Explorer America Concept, when theoretically powered by an EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 delivering about 250kW, is about 20 to 30 percent more fuel efficient than today’s V6 Explorer.

Explorer America Concept is quite different in structure, using lighter unibody construction instead of the body-on-frame construction of today's Explorer. In addition to reducing overall weight, the unibody construction also delivers superior driving dynamics.

Fuel-saving Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) and other engine actions deliver a fuel savings benefit of about 5 percent. Between 80 to 90 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will have EPAS by 2012

Aerodynamic and other parasitic improvements add up to an additional 5 percent fuel economy improvement.

4) Hybrid-Electric Drivetrain
Ford was the first manufacturer to offer a hybrid 4x4 SUV, and Ford's leadership in hybrid-electric SUV technology continues in 2008 with the development of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine. The engine features variable valve timing for better efficiency, a first for an HEV powertrain.

Advancements in engine processor technology enable a nearly imperceptible transition from gasoline to electric mode. Emission remains at the lowest possible rating of PZEV. Accompanying the engine is a dedicated electronic continuously-variable transmission (ECVT) specifically developed for hybrid use.

The hybrid powertrain on display is an example of a full hybrid, meaning it automatically switches between pure electric power, pure gasoline power or a combined operation to maximize efficiency and performance.

About Ford Motor in China
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 245,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.

Ford's wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and investment in China include Ford Motor (China) Limited, Ford Motor Research & Engineering (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., Ford Automotive Finance (China) Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. Nanjing Company, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. and Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit ford.com and ford.com.cn.

Source: Ford Motor Company

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