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Ford shelving F-100 development in favor of EcoBoost

 
3 2,598 views Aug 7, 2008
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Ford shelving F-100 development in favor of EcoBoost

Ford shelving F-100 development in favor of EcoBoost

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Executives at Ford are so enthusiastic about the possibilities for fuel efficiency in their EcoBoost forced-induction engines that they have decided to shelve plans for a smaller 'F-100' pickup truck. Likewise, importation of the Ranger from South Africa to the U.S. has also been canned in favor of the new technology.

Also at the focus of the efficient powertrain buildup is a range of new transmissions. The combination of more efficient, smaller displacement turbocharged engines and more efficient drivelines are hoped to deliver significantly improved fuel economy while allowing the company to continue to offer the same size and performance of vehicles its buyers are used to, reports The Detroit News.

"We have no intention of giving up our leadership in trucks," said Derrick Kuzak, chief of Ford's global product development. "Fuel economy [will be] a reason to buy - no longer a reason to reject - Ford vehicles."

An added bonus of the decision not to change over to smaller pickups is the plant capacity can now be diverted to production of more small cars, helping Ford fill a gap in its supply chain without resorting to overseas suppliers or importing its own models.



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Comments (3)

  1. By NoNameDenton Posted: 8/8/2008 5:40am PDT

    Was not a fan of the F-100 idea, but was hoping we would get the better Ranger with some diesels here.
     
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  2. By chris Posted: 8/9/2008 9:02am PDT

    /concure

    but I think this article highlights a good strategy for ford. keep investing in TECHNOLOGY that will transform the company.. not products. for the price of a new product (F100) or to retool for a new product (international ranger) ford can give you improved mileage on the F150..... the truck everyone wants ANYWAYS. when the profits roll in for that vehicle, and the countless others that will benefit from having class leading fuel economy, then you can talk about retooling NA factories for a ranger that isnt 30 years old. or a large RWD sedan that isnt 40 years old.

    the sad truth of it all is that the people who really use trucks such as contractors, tradesmen, etc,.. don't want to kick around in a small pickup, and those who were buying pickups for the sheer audacity of having a truck and never using it have gone to the midsized car segment.

    it's kind of hard for ford to justify investing directly into a product segment that is *only* netting 5000 sales every month. they can squeeze that kind of sales out of better small car offerings instead of investing into something entirely new.
     
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  3. By AJ Posted: 8/11/2008 1:42pm PDT

    I would like to see an F100 with eco-boost. I can't belive they don't think there is a market for this considering how many old Rangers they still manage to sell after all these years with no real update. I think an F100 would be a real hit. I've aways been a Ford fan, but they really disappoint me in deciding that I want a big truck with no aerodynamics because it looks tougher. Just because the sales slowed on their prior version of the F150 -where they tried using aerodynamics, doesn't mean they had to giveup on the idea of designing a more stylish and wind efficient design, just because they didn't get it quite right the first time. Perhaps they need to get Mazda to design their new smaller pickups, they seem to do better at the drawing board.
     
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