18 March 2010

Search

Poll

News Categories

Show categories | Hide categories

Pages

Show pages | Hide pages

The ECOnetic: Ford’s flagship green cars

Anyone who thought that green cars were out of reach clearly hasn’t heard of the Ford ECOnetic range of vehicles. Launched amid a clamour of media attention at the Frankfurt Show in 2007, these vehicles make it easier than ever for motorists to get behind the wheel of a green car.

So just what is included in the Ford ECOnetic range and how does the concept work? This guide will examine Ford’s offerings and what to look out for.

What are Ford ECOnetic cars?

Ford readily established itself among the leading manufacturers in the race to produce green cars, initially with the launch of its Flexi-fuel range of vehicles that increased the affordable, low CO2 emitting car choices available to customers through a blend of 85 per cent bio-ethanol and 15 per cent petrol.

As of the Frankfurt Show of 2007, Ford of Europe began offering its customers ultra-low CO2 alternatives that utilised the latest common-rail diesel powertrains with features specifically engineered to reduce emissions.

The Ford Focus ECOnetic model now has some of the best-in-class CO2 emissions at a mere 99g/km.

The aim of the ECOnetic badges was to give consumers who value low emissions as a key reason to buy a vehicle, an easy reference point.

How do Ford ECOnetic vehicles work?

According to one of Ford’s directors, the aim for the engineering team responsible for producing the Ford ECOnetic vehicles was to develop the maximum reduction in CO2 emissions using presently available technologies.

To do this, the engineers examined drive resistances and looked to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicles. They also installed a host of fuel-saving technologies.

This was implemented in various ways:

Lowering the vehicles – to reduce drag
Adding an aerodynamics kit
Using low-resistance tyres
Introduction of a low viscosity transmission oil
Green shift indicator light
Modified engine calibration
Transmission drive ratio adaptations
Ford Auto-Start-Stop system
Smart Regenerative Charging
Low Tension FEAD (Front End Accessory Drive)
Ford Eco Mode

Spotlight on the Ford Focus ECOnetic

As the first car to receive the ‘ECOnetic’ treatment, let’s examine the Ford Focus ECOnetic in more depth.

The Ford Focus is one of the most popular models in Europe and the concept behind the Ford Focus ECOnetic appears to be to not necessarily interfere in a market that aggressively produces low-emission vehicles but rather to make a highly prized vehicle more environmentally friendly.

One of the areas focused on during the launch of the first Ford Focus ECOnetic is the engine type and the 1.6 TDCI model with 109 horsepower, has an average consumption level of 4.3litres per 100km and emits 115 grams of CO2 per km. This means that it is instantly beaten for low emission levels by several hybrid models – but the purpose of the ECOnetic range is to make conventional vehicles adopt a greener outlook. In this area it was the top of its class on its launch.

Since that time, Ford has tweaked the Focus ECOnetic again and reduced the emissions to a tiny 99g/km CO2 and boost efficiency up to 74.2mpg. Hitting the road in early 2010, the new Focus ECOnetic was greener than ever, and saw Ford introduce a new optional Ford Auto-Start-Stop system that was previewed on the Ford iosis MAX Concept at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

Regardless of whether Auto-Start-Stopwas specified, the new Focus ECOnetic gained Smart Regenerative Charging and Low Tension FEAD (Front End Accessory Drive) technologies- a first in the Ford of Europe product line-up, and which combined delivered lower emissions and better fuel efficiency.

Average CO2 emissions for the Auto-Start-Stop equipped model were as low as 99g/km and 104g/km for the standard Focus ECOnetic.

The new Focus ECOnetic is also the first vehicle to feature the new Ford Eco Mode system as standard. An all-new driver information system, Ford Eco Mode, helps to educate the driver to achieve improved real-world fuel economy.

How do ECOnetic models benefit the consumer?

For drivers who are reluctant to trust hybrid or electric models but still want to do their bit for the environment, the Ford ECOnetic range provides a solution.

They look and run just like conventional vehicles. In fact, the original Ford Focus ECOnetic model features a Powershift gearbox allowing drivers to make faster gear changes but without the expense of paying for an Audi, or Mercedes which use similar technologies.

With low emission levels the Ford ECOnetic range, drivers need pay little or no road tax. There is the possibility of benefiting from cheaper car insurance too as more providers choose to reward green car drivers with cheap premiums. As business cars, the ECOnetic cars are subject to lower company taxation.

ECOnetic motorists can also enjoy greater fuel efficiency and therefore lower their typical driving expenses.

Of course, as the Ford ECOnetic models still use diesel as the fuel source, they still emit a variety of particulates and are not as green as other models on the market – particularly hybrid cars.