Ford focus family has a clean run on 2012 ECO Rally

Ford rolled out a comprehensive range of low-CO2 technologies at the Oxford to London Eco Rally this week as Ford Focus models with three different powertrains took part in this year’s 65-mile event. The sixth annual Eco Rally of the UK’s most eco-friendly vehicles started on Saturday August 18 from Broad Street, Oxford, and ended at the UK’s largest sustainable transport exhibition, staged in honour of the rally, at Waterloo Place in London. The Ford Focus models were powered by the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, Ford’s most fuel-efficient engine – the ultra-frugal 1.6-litre Duratorq diesel – and by the zero-emissions powertrain of the Focus Electric. This Focus family showcased the energy efficient ECOnetic Technologies that are designed to make Ford vehicles leaders, or among the very best in their segment, in terms of fuel efficiency. Building up to the Eco Rally, a scene-setting conference, “Investing in Future Transport”, was hosted at City Hall, London. Andreas Schamel, managing director of Ford’s European Research Center and Ford’s chief powertrain research engineer, delivered a keynote presentation at the conference on current and future low CO2 powertrain technologies. Andreas Schamel said: “Ford is developing a portfolio of high-technology, low-CO2 powertrains that offer customers affordable choice and excellent fuel-efficiency in vehicles they want and value. Ford is committed to reducing CO2 output across its entire vehicle range, with Ford ECOnetic Technologies now available on the Fiesta, Focus, B-MAX, C-MAX, Mondeo, S-MAX, Galaxy and Transit. “The Ford Focus cars in the Eco-Rally demonstrate how a choice of low CO2 powertrains can be provided within a single model range. The maximum contribution to overall CO2 reduction is delivered by the highly efficient petrol and diesel variants that are sold in high volumes. The Focus Electric shows our commitment to providing a full suite of minimum CO2 technologies, which will be supplemented by hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles that Ford is launching in Europe.” Ford Focus models at the 2012 Eco Rally Ford Focus EcoBoost: The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine is the smallest engine produced by Ford. The forward-thinking design delivers power and performance to rival a traditional 1.6-litre petrol engine while emitting less than 114g/km CO2 in the Focus. The 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine was developed at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the UK and is specified with Ford ECOnetic Technologies such as Ford Auto-Start-Stop, Active Grille Shutter and Ford Smart Regenerative Charging. It has recently won the 2012 “International Engine of the Year” award. Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi with Auto-Start-Stop: Until the launch of the 88g/km CO2 Ford Focus ECOnetic later this year, Ford’s most fuel-efficient Focus derivative is this 109g/km CO2 model. Both are powered by versions of Ford’s high-tech 1.6-litre Duratorq diesel engine produced at Ford’s Dagenham plant to the east of London. Auto-Start-Stop automatically shuts down the engine when at idle to save fuel-consumption. Ford Focus Electric: The fuel-free Focus is Ford’s first-ever all-electric passenger car. It has a target range of 100 miles, can be charged in just three to four hours when connected to an appropriate charging facility and is powered by a 23kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It is the flagship of Ford’s new family of electrified vehicles and joins the growing line-up of energy efficient, ECOnetic Technology-badged vehicles, which are segment-leading in terms of fuel efficiency. From motor