Talk about your “conversation starters.” Ford has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its demonstration electric vehicles including plug-in hybrids that “talks” directly with the grid.

This new technology – which builds on Ford’s connectivity technology such as SYNC®, SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide and Ford Work Solutions™ – allows the vehicle operator to program when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate.

All 21 of Ford’s fleet of plug-in hybrid Escapes will be equipped with the vehicle-to-grid communications technology for testing and to gather real world usage data. The first of the specially equipped plug-in hybrids has been delivered to American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio. Ford’s other utility partners’ vehicles will also be equipped with the communications technology.

The intelligent interface

When plugged in, the battery systems of these specially equipped plug-in hybrids can communicate directly through wireless networking with the electrical grid via smart meters provided by utility companies. The owner uses the vehicle’s touch screen navigation interface and Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer to choose when the vehicle should recharge, for how long and at what utility rate.

For example, a vehicle owner could choose to accept a charge only during off-peak hours between midnight and 6 a.m. when electricity rates are cheaper, or when the grid is using only renewable energy such as wind or solar power.

Real-world research

Over the past two years, Ford and its energy industry partners have logged more than 75,000 miles on the plug-in hybrid test fleet – that’s the equivalent of driving around the world at the equator three times. The plug-in hybrid research focuses on four primary areas: battery technology, vehicle systems, customer usage and grid infrastructure.

Real-world usage and laboratory research is helping to accelerate the advancement of electrified vehicles. Ford and its research partners are now focusing on ways to make the recharging process easy and efficient for consumers. In addition to low-cost recharging at home through the use of a smart meter, Ford researchers say recharging away from home – whether at work, in a shopping mall parking lot or at a curbside station – needs to be as simple as plugging in and swiping a credit card.

Ford has previously announced it will launch 4 new electric vehicles within the next 3 years including;

• Battery electric Transit Connect small commercial van in 2010
• Battery electric Ford Focus in 2011
• Next generation hybrid in 2012
• Plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012

QUOTES

“Electric vehicles are an important element of our strategy for improving fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions. This vehicle-to-grid communication technology is an important step in the journey toward the widespread commercialization of electric vehicles.”
– Bill Ford, Ford’s executive chairman

“We are designing what plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles will be capable of in the future. Direct communication between vehicles and the grid can only be accomplished through collaboration between automakers and utility companies, which Ford and its partners are demonstrating with this technology.”
– Greg Frenette, manager of Ford’s Battery Electric Vehicle Applications

“Broad commercialization of electric transportation is not something a car company can achieve on its own. Developing and producing the vehicles is just one part of the electric transportation equation. We are well on our way to delivering the vehicles, but for widespread adoption the infrastructure to support the technology needs to be in place and we need to ensure that the national electric grid can support increased electric demand.”
– Nancy Gioia, Ford director, Sustainable Mobility Technologies

“Ford’s involvement in the collaboration with EPRI and some of the nation’s leading utilities will help accelerate the pace leading to the commercialization of PHEVs. This type of joint effort between an auto manufacturer and utilities will permit a more seamless integration of electric-drive vehicles into the power grid and the transportation sector.”
– Arshad Mansoor, vice president of EPRI’s Power Delivery and Utilization Sector

Paired with turbocharging, direct injection gives the new 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine in the Lincoln MKS the power and torque of a 4.6-liter V-8 with the fuel economy of a V-6. The direct injection technology helps Ford’s EcoBoost deliver advancements of up to 20 percent better fuel economy.

As well, EcoBoost is more Earth-friendly, as it helps reduce CO2 emissions. Direct injection uses high-pressure fuel injectors to spray a fine mist of fuel directly into each cylinder. This precisely controlled fuel delivery improves the engine’s transient response and enables improved emissions, particularly at cold start. The EcoBoost engine cuts CO2 emissions by 15 percent.

Unlike port-fuel-injection (PFI) engines that spray fuel in the intake system, the direct injection system puts the fuel exactly where it needs to be for combustion, making it easier to ignite and burn completely, allowing for improved fuel efficiency. Much like a fine-mist atomizer bottle one might use to keep cool in the summer, the mist generated by the direct injection uses its cool to chill engine intake air, which, in addition to improving fuel economy, also reduces the potential for engine knock.

Quotes

“Direct injection is a significant player in Ford’s strategy to replace larger engines with smaller EcoBoost engines, improving fuel economy by up to 20 percent without sacrificing performance. We’re going to be deploying direct injection to bring a wave of EcoBoost engines into Ford Motor Company products. It starts with the Lincoln MKS and by 2013 more than 90 percent of our North American lineup will offer EcoBoost technology.”
- Brett Hinds, EcoBoost Design Manager

“Cool air is good for an engine because it minimizes the engine knocking phenomenon. Anything you can use to cool the air is good. Injecting the fuel into the cylinder, you cool it on the spot, where you’re going to burn it. Fuel vaporization during the intake stroke cools the air, improving the volumetric efficiency, the breathing of the engine and the knocking tendency.”
- Corey Weaver, EcoBoost Project Leader

Under Ford’s global initiative to provide powertrains that deliver fuel efficiency while meeting the power and performance needs customers demand, the first wave of new EcoBoost™ engines make their debut in the Lincoln MKS, MKT and Ford Flex later this year. Here are some key highlights on Ford’s new EcoBoost technology:

Power and fuel economy – The twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 EcoBoost engine produces 355 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 350 ft.-lb. of torque at 3,500 rpm. A 10-15 percent fuel-economy benefit is expected versus normally aspirated 4.6-liter V-8 engines in the same competitive class.

Engine – The proven Duratec 3.5-liter V-6 comprises the base engine architecture. To handle the increased torque that EcoBoost delivers, some upgrades were made to some of the components, such as the cylinder block, crankshaft, connecting rods pistons and exhaust valves to ensure the EcoBoost V-6 engine is as robust as possible.

Turbochargers – Two Honeywell GT15 turbochargers with water-cooled bearings and operate in parallel, spinning at approximately 170,000 rpm up to 12 PSI. They are rated for a 150,000-mile, 10-year life.

Direct fuel injection – A cam-driven high-pressure fuel pump feeds the fuel injectors at pressures ranging from 200 to 2,175 PSI (pounds per square inch) depending on customer driving. A typical port fuel injection system operates at pressures of around 60 PSI. Six sprayers in each injector target fuel into the cylinder, resulting in a cleaner and more-efficient fuel burn and better cold-start emissions.

Quotes

“The Duratec 3.5 family is a good example of Ford’s forward planning in terms of powertrain technologies. The engine architecture itself was well protected for high-boost applications, so it didn’t require an extensive durability program. It was in good shape to start with.”
- Brett Hinds, EcoBoost Design Manager

Ford, in collaboration with high-tech partners, is committed to bringing electric-powered vehicles to market quickly and affordably. The aggressive plan, unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show, signals the next phase in Ford’s strategy to deliver the best or among the best fuel efficiency with every new vehicle it introduces and to make fuel efficiency solutions affordable for millions of customers.

To start, Ford will introduce in North America during the next four years:

• A new battery electric commercial van in 2010
• A new battery electric small car in 2011 to be developed jointly with Magna International
• Next-generation hybrid vehicles, including a plug-in version by 2012

Helping Ford leverage its global high-volume global small car and midsize car platforms are Ford’s key strategic partners, including a new collaboration with Magna International to bring a new lithium ion battery-powered small car to market in North America in 2011.

Ford already has other collaborations and partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of electrified vehicles. These include:

• Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute currently are road testing a fleet of Ford Escape Hybrid Plug-ins. Work with the utility industry partners is focused on understanding customer usage and the interconnectivity of vehicles with the electric grid.
• A four-way “Eco-Partnership” in China to expand its global expertise with electric-powered vehicles. Ford, Changan Auto Group and the cities of Chongqing, China and Denver, Colo., are exploring ways to develop projects to help further energy security and promote economic and environmental sustainability.
• The U.S. Department of Energy awarded a $10 million grant to Ford’s development of PHEVs. The DOE currently is road testing one of Ford’s Escape Hybrid Plug-ins to support technological innovation related to the electrification of transportation.
• In the UK, Ford is collaborating with Tanfield, the market leader for electric vehicles, to offer battery-electric versions of the Ford Transit and Transit Connect commercial vehicles for fleet customers in the UK and European markets.

Also this year, Ford is doubling its production and offerings of hybrid vehicles with the new Fusion and Milan hybrids. During the past five years, Ford has sold nearly 100,000 hybrid vehicles, starting with the introduction of the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid, the most fuel efficient SUVs in the world.

Quotes

“Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future. I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge.”
- Bill Ford, Ford Executive Chairman

“Next-generation hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure battery powered vehicles are the logical next steps in our pursuit of greater fuel economy and sustainability. A growing number of consumers want that kind of choice, and we want to be in a position to deliver it to them across multiple vehicle categories.”
- Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s Group Vice President of Global Product Development

Ford’s electrification strategy involves three types of electrified vehicles – Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) – to provide consumers with significant fuel economy improvements and reduced CO2 emissions without compromising their driving experience.

To start, Ford will introduce in North America during the next four years:

• A new battery electric commercial van in 2010
• A new battery electric small car in 2011 to be developed jointly with Magna International
• Next-generation hybrid vehicles, including a plug-in version by 2012

These new vehicles pave the way for additional applications in the future, using Ford’s high-volume global small car and midsize car platforms.

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

Battery Electric Vehicles do not use a drop of fuel. Instead of an internal combustion engine, the BEV features a high-voltage electric motor, which takes its power from a battery pack charged by plugging in to a 110-volt or 220-volt outlet.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

The Hybrid Electric Vehicle combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery. Electric power is used for vehicle launch and lower-speed operation. The internal combustion engine takes over for higher demand operation and charges the battery.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles combine HEV technology with a high-voltage storage battery like that used in a BEV. Ford’s PHEV is what is known as a blended PHEV – optimally first using the charge of the battery and then running in regular hybrid mode for the best possible fuel, smallest battery and most affordable customer solution. On startup, it operates in charge-depletion mode, providing up to 30 equivalent electric miles of range, and then switches to charge-sustaining hybrid mode for continued optimal fuel economy.

The electrification strategy takes advantage of rapid advancements in electrified vehicle technology – particularly Lithium-ion batteries – while leveraging the scale of global vehicle platforms to bring the cost of new technology down.

Ford unveiled its global vehicle electrification strategy by announcing one of its key vehicle-development partnerships at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A pure BEV passenger car that doesn’t use a drop of gas will be developed jointly with Magna International, a global auto supplier headquartered in Canada.

As part of Ford’s strategy to bring BEVs, plug-in hybrids and hybrid electric vehicles to market by 2012, Magna will provide the BEV electric traction motor, transmission, motor controller, energy storage system, battery charger and related systems. Magna has approximately 80,000 employees in 243 manufacturing operations and 63 product development and engineering centers in 24 countries.

Ford chose Magna for its system development expertise that will enable Ford to deliver a world-class product. Magna will also share in the engineering responsibility to integrate the electric propulsion system and other new systems into the vehicle platform architecture.

The BEV technology is already being shown to the news media with demonstration drives of a current-model test ‘mule’ that has been road tested for the past six months. It shows that a future of vehicle electrification is promising. Ford and Magna will work together to make the vehicles a good value for customers and a good business proposition.

Quotes

“Magna is a world-class automotive component supplier that’s an ideal partner for our BEV. Our strategy absolutely depends on forging alliances with key suppliers whose expertise complements our extensive experience and global production capabilities. Developing these new technologies requires a major investment, so it’s especially important to have strong supplier alliances.”
- Nancy Gioia, Ford Director of Sustainable Mobility Technology

“We strongly believe in collaboration because it drives innovation up and keeps costs down. Bringing a fully functional electric vehicle quickly to the market that meets customer expectations in terms of cost and performance is a great testament to both our companies’ expertise and collaborative efforts.”
- Don Walker, Co-CEO of Magna International

“Quality straight out of the box is very important. Magna has exceptional knowledge of engineering for the automotive environment. We’re certain that our collaborative result will be world-class and that means we have the potential to touch millions of customers with this kind of technology.”
- Nancy Gioia, Ford Director of Sustainable Mobility Technology

Because turbochargers operate at high speed – up to 170,000 rpm – and under intense temperatures of up to 950 degrees Celsius (1,740 degrees Fahrenheit), Ford’s advanced engine engineers specified the use of two Honeywell GT15 water-cooled turbos to combat this problem.

To validate their water-cooled design choice, the EcoBoost V-6 engine was put through intense testing, well beyond normal test protocols. In an engine dynamometer ‘torture chamber’, Ford engineers ran EcoBoost at maximum boost flat out for a 10-minute period. This meant the turbos went beyond red-hot, to the more extreme orange-hot.

Then the engine and all cooling were abruptly shut down and the turbo was left to “bake” after this high-speed operation. Test engineers repeated this cycle 1,500 times without an oil change. The turbos were cut open for detailed technical inspections and passed the severe tests with flying colors.

Then onto durability testing. Back in the dynamometer lab, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 went back up to full revs – and maximum turbo boost – for a real endurance test. This time the duration was a bit longer – 362 hours at full throttle. That’s the equivalent of running the 24 Hours of Daytona for more than 15 days straight.

EcoBoost makes its production debut in the 2010 Ford Flex, 2010 Lincoln MKT and MKS, and uses the same grade of 5W20 engine oil specified by Ford for gasoline engines. Oil changes are scheduled at the same 7,500-mile intervals, too.

Quotes

“We put the EcoBoost V-6 through the same extensive durability signoff testing as any Ford gasoline engines, and we went beyond it to validate the EcoBoost water-cooled turbocharger design and air-to-air intercooling strategy. The idea is to run the engine through a very difficult testing regimen at its maximum-rated operating performance. That’s when things get hot.”
- Michael Shelby, EcoBoost Engine Development Leader

“During normal turbo operation, the turbo receives most of its bearing cooling through oil. After shut down, the problems with turbos in the past were you would get coking in the center bearing. Oil would collect in the bearings, the heat soaks in and the oil would start to coke on the side and foul the bearing. Water cooling – used in the EcoBoost engine – eliminates that worry.”
- Keith Plagens, Turbo System Engineer