Ford Motor Co. has announced it will use more diesel engine technology to develop the second generation of the EcoBoost  engine. The result will be improved power and better fuel economy compared with the first-generation engines. Ford wants to get close to the same driving characteristics from the EcoBoost engine as it can from a diesel engine, such as strong low-end torque and good fuel economy. By borrowing from diesel technology, the result also will be a cleaner running EcoBoost engine that generates more power and delivers about a 5 percent gain in fuel economy over the current EcoBoost engines.

EcoBoost technology combines direct fuel injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging to reduce fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and vehicle weight. But it gives drivers the performance of a bigger engine. Ford said its current generation of 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder and 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engines deliver between 10 and 20 percent better fuel economy than comparable normally aspirated V-6 and V-8 engines, respectively. Ford said it will launch three new EcoBoost engines by year end. Those are: A 1.6-liter four-cylinder for the European C-Max microvan, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder for the next-generation Ford Explorer SUV and Edge crossover, and the 3.5-liter V-6 for the F-150 pickup. The EcoBoost F-150 will deliver best-in-class fuel economy with the power and towing capability of a V-8, Ford said. The three new EcoBoost engines will increase the number of Ford’s global nameplates offering EcoBoost to 11. EcoBoost is available now in the Ford Flex crossover, Ford Taurus sedan, Lincoln MKS sedan and MKT crossover.

Two vehicles selected as the 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year feature a number of lightweight, advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) technologies. The Ford Fusion hybrid and Ford Transit Connect won the awards for top car and top truck of the year respectively. The Ford Fusion hybrid – an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick” and rated as the most fuel-efficient mid-size car in North America – features a lightweight high-strength steel body structure for added side and frontal impact protection and tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes. The Fusion body contains 55 percent high-strength steel. The Ford Transit Connect was developed to be durable and includes steel wheels, high-strength steel front crossmember, a high-strength steel reinforced body shell, and twin-side cross members and side-impact protection.

“Ford’s innovative use of carefully selected lightweight, high-strength steel grades in the Fusion Hybrid and Transit Connect confirms that steel is the material of choice when it comes to fuel efficiency, strength, durability, cost and design,” said Ron Krupitzer, vice president of automotive applications for AISI’s Steel Market Development Institute. “Both vehicles earn top fuel efficiency marks in their class and feature clean, unique designs at an affordable price, making them ideal for consumers.”

The awards are judged and given by 49 veteran automotive journalists in the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and Web sites. The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding vehicles of the year based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. To be eligible, vehicles must be “all-new” or “substantially changed” from the previous model.