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Diesel engines have gotten a bad rap in the United States because of the amount of emissions they put out. However, it seems that the wheel is turning and the reputation of diesel engines is slowly changing as automakers continually develop ways to equip their vehicles with a clean diesel engine.
One such company is Ford Motor Company, which has introduced its new Power Stroke diesel technology. This new promises good engine performance while maintaining the level of emissions equal to that of a gasoline engine. The engine will be the workhorse of the new 2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty lineup and has already received much praise for its fuel efficiency.
The massive 6.4-litre Power Stroke diesel engine has improved performance over previous diesels used by Ford. The technology also reduces emissions and NVH or noise, vibration and harshness. The high performance of the engine and its low emissions are two things that I like. But it’s also important to note that this engine also has a 25 to 30 percent better fuel economy rating than gasoline engines. In fact, the new generation of clean diesel engines is taking over the European market, and Ford hopes to do the same in North America. Ford hopes to successfully launch the technology as a large number of Super Duty buyers opt for a diesel engine under the hood.
One great thing about the engine is that it has no turbo lag, and according to Richard Truett, engineering reporter for Automotive News, “I’ve never felt that kind of performance in a diesel before.” Said this after going 60-65 miles per hour while towing. He further stated that he “can’t find anything he doesn’t like (the engine).” His glowing review of the technology is echoed by John Stewart, editorial director of Diesel World magazine: “It’s a tremendously quiet engine. It has torque everywhere you look. The technology they’ve applied is state of the art. When you drive it, you think, this thing is a big cruiser. We have to go on trips with this.”
The folks at Ford said the Power Stroke diesel is the company’s cleanest, quietest truck diesel. Its particulate emissions, which have given it a bad reputation in the past, are reduced to almost the equivalent of the emissions of a gasoline engine. It delivers that clean emission while providing 350 horsepower that a high-performance disc brake and EBC brake rotor would need to stop the vehicle efficiently. The engine also provides 650 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 revolutions per minute with the help of its two-stage turbocharger. The Power Stroke engine is the first truck engine in the US to feature the common rail fuel injection system with piezo injectors.
The development of the diesel engine was made possible by Ford’s European connection. Power Stroke’s diesel manager, Enio Gomes, stated that they have harnessed the knowledge of the company’s European diesel experts to integrate cutting-edge technologies into the new engine, especially the aforementioned fuel injection system. Another part that European diesel engine experts help integrate into the new diesel engine is the particulate filter that significantly reduces the amount of emissions emitted by the engine.
Ford is counting on its new diesel technology to propel the company to the top of the diesel-powered vehicle market, which is expected to grow significantly over the next two decades. In fact, they have already revealed their plan to offer a Ford F-150 equipped with a diesel engine, which will be another first in the company’s light-duty truck series.
