DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. said it will upgrade its entire powertrain portfolio in China with 20 advanced engines and transmissions to support its plan to introduce 15 new vehicles in the country by 2015.
The advanced technologies -- including turbocharging, direct injection, twin independent variable camshaft timing and six-speed automatic transmissions -- are expected to improve the fuel economy of Ford's passenger vehicle lineup in China by more than 20 percent by 2015, the company said in a statement Sunday.
The upgraded powertrain portfolio will also reduce tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent, the company said.
"Ford is committed to be a fuel economy leader in every segment that we compete by utilizing advanced powertrain technologies," Kumar Galhorta, vice president of product development for Ford Asia Pacific and Africa, said in a statement. "These technologies represent a core part of our near-term sustainability goals in China."
Ford also plans to produce the smallest of its EcoBoost engines -- a new 1.0-liter engine -- in China. It will be offered in small- to medium-sized vehicles, the company said.
The automaker launched the Mondeo powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine in China earlier this year.
Ford plans to produce 1.5 million EcoBoost engines annually around the world by 2013. Ford also expects that 80 percent of its vehicles around the world will be equipped with EcoBoost by 2013.
The automaker currently offers four EcoBoost engines worldwide:
- A 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine sold in Europe on the new B-MAX, Focus and C-MAX, and on an unspecified North American model.
- A 1.6-liter four-cylinder offered in the European C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, and the 2013 Ford Escape to be sold in North America.
- A 2.0-liter four-cylinder for Ford Explorer SUV, Edge CUV, North American next-generation Escape, Focus ST and Taurus, as well as the European C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy and the Mondeo in China.
- A 3.5-liter V-6 for the F-150, Taurus SHO, Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT sold in North America.
Ford expects EcoBoost engines to be available on all Ford-branded passenger cars sold in China by 2015. Market demand will determine which additional EcoBoost engines Ford will offer in China.
The automaker said it will also introduce an advanced non-turbocharged engine in China that combines gasoline direct injection and variable camshaft timing.
The automaker also is replacing its four-speed automatic transmission and five-speed manual gearbox with three new six-speed transmissions. Ford will introduce its PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, a conventional automatic with a torque converter, and a manual gearbox.
Ford, a late entrant to the Chinese market, currently operates one engine plant in the country.
Ford's joint venture in China, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., has also begun construction of a $500 million engine factory and $350 million transmission plant in the country.
Each of the new powertrain plants will have an initial capacity of 400,000 units.
