Ford will focus on EcoBoost tech thanks to falling diesel sales
Ford will focus on developing the EcoBoost petrol engine range, as well as improving hybrid tech
While other manufacturers are turning their attention to hybrid technology, Ford has announced its focus over the next 10 years will be on improving its EcoBoost technology.
“This year we’ll be selling well over 1 million EcoBoost engines globally,” said Joe Bakaj, Vice President of Product Development at Ford. “We sold more EcoBoost engines than we did diesel engines globally last year, which was a big milestone for us.”
In 2013, sales of diesel engines fell behind petrol engines for the first time with a 45.8 per cent share across Europe. Last year that figure decreased further to 44.9 per cent.
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“There is still a lot of development potential left when it comes to efficiency for both EcoBoost. We’re a long way from seeing the end of the line on conventional technology, we are going to see for the next 10 years continued development on traditional petrol and diesel,” Bakaj continued.
As well as plans to further develop EcoBoost technology, Bakaj also revealed plans to expand hybrid technology across Europe. In North America, Ford has a strong foothold in the hybrid market, second best only to Toyota, with this domination planned to spread across Europe in the future.
“We’re in the phase now where we are bringing electrified technology out globally and that is one of the advantages of One Ford globally strategy,” said Bakaj. “When we develop hybrid and electric technology now we design it to sell it all around the world. That wasn’t true 10 years ago.”
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