Ford has started building the new twin-scroll 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter EcoBoost engines at its Cleveland Engine Plant, marking the first time that the turbocharged engines are being produced within the United States.
The 2.0-liter version of the EcoBoost engine will be used for the upcoming and redesigned 2015 Ford Edge, and the larger 2.3-liter versions are being used in the Explorer, Mustang and Lincoln MKC.
"With more than 4 million Eco Boost-powered vehicles on the road today, Cleveland Engine has been at the forefront of our plan to provide our customers with fuel-efficient, affordable engines," said Ford VP of North America Manufacturing Bruce Hettle in a statement, adding that the team in the company's engine plant in Cleveland is proud to being building two of the most technologically sophisticated engines that are currently in the market.
Ford's investments in its Cleveland Engine Plant reached almost $200 million in 2013, with the company adding 450 employees at the site for the production of EcoBoost engines.
The EcoBoost engines were previously produced and shipped from the company's engine plant in Valencia, Spain. The Valencia plant will continue to make the 2-liter version of the EcoBoost engine for Ford vehicles that are assembled within Europe, and will also be manufacturing components for the engine to both itself and the Cleveland plant.
The employee count in Ford's Cleveland plant is around 1,300 people, with the site already previously building the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine and the 3.7-liter V6 engine used by Ford in its rear-drive vehicles.
The decision to localize the production of the smaller EcoBoost engines is in support of the expected continuous growth of sales for crossover vehicles such as the Edge and Explorer.
Ford VP of United States marketing, sales and service Mark LaNeve said that sales for utility vehicles are increasing at a rate that is three times that of the vehicle industry globally, which prompted the company to take advantage of the trend and expand its production of EcoBoost engines in Cleveland.
According to Ford, the Cleveland Engine Plant, located in Brook Park, has manufactured over 1 million EcoBoost engines since 2009, when the company unveiled the fuel-saving engines.
The technology of the EcoBoost engines allows them to combine turbocharging, gasoline direct injection and variable valve timing for better fuel economy and decreased level of emissions, all within an engine that is smaller in size overall compared to most other engines.
The manufacturing of the 2-liter EcoBoost engines at the Cleveland Engine Plant was originally slated to begin by the end of last year.
