Ford is increasing production of its 1.0L direct-injected turbocharged EcoBoost 3-cyl. engine to meet growing demand in Europe.
The auto maker says it will add a second shift at its Cologne, Germany, engine plant to double output to more than 1,000 units a day. The move will boost projected production capacity this year to 165,000 units from 100,000, and to 200,000 engines in 2014, equating to a 62% increase.
The 1.0L EcoBoost also is built at Ford’s Craiova, Romania, engine factory. Both Cologne and Craiova were upgraded to facilitate production of the mill, including a number of environmental measures such as cold-testing technology that allows engines to be tested without being started, which reduces fuel usage and carbon-dioxide emissions 66%.
The two plants also received technology that reduces the volume of coolant required when machining aluminum engine parts, contributing to a reduced manufacturing footprint.
The engine’s popularity among European car buyers has surpassed Ford’s expectations. The auto maker says the take rate for the mill in the B-Max small cross/utility vehicle is 44%; Focus C-car, 32%; Fiesta B-car, 26%; and C-Max and Grand C-Max CUVs, 24%.
“What’s interesting is the 1.0L is not the base engine,” Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer tells WardsAuto. “In some products, the 1.0L is outselling the diesel. That mix is telling us EcoBoost is doing what we wanted, and the strong mix is really encouraging for us.”
Ford will offer the 1.0L EcoBoost on future models, including the Transit Connect and Tourneo Connect vans, as well as the Mondeo midsize sedan and EcoSport CUV.
The engine is being launched in other global markets as well, including India and China, and later this year in North America for the Fiesta B-car.
Schirmer declines to reveal the expected take rate for the 1.0L in North America, but says the additional capacity in part is to accommodate demand in the new global markets.
“Ford’s looking ahead,” he says. “We’re doing a bigger mix than we thought, so certainly we have to increase production.”
