Ford V6 And V8 Engines To Benefit From Ethanol Injection

FORD LOOKS SET to add another economy-enhancing technology to its engines to sit above the 'coming-soon' Eco-Boost range of engines, set to debut in the US-market Lincoln MKS.

The system, dubbed Direct Injection Octane Boost, has the ability to improve fuel economy by a further five to ten percent. It works by injecting a quick burst of ethanol into the combustion chamber prior a regular injection of standard unleaded.

Ford  North America has filed documents with the US Department of Energy confirming that the ‘Bobcat’ V8 engines coming to the F-series truck range will be the first with ethanol injection.

A second generation of Eco-Boost V6s is also currently being prepared which will make use of the same ethanol injection system.

American firm Ethanol Boosting Systems has collaborated with Ford to develop the system which in 5.0 litre Bobcat V8 form should put out around 373kW (500hp) and a massive 1015Nm (750lb-ft) of torque.

The pure ethanol delivery gives a dramatic boost to the octane rating of standard unleaded fuel (normally 88-91 RON), due to the higher octane rating of ethanol.

Added benefits of the ethanol injection system are lower running temperatures due to the additional cooling provided by the organically derived fuel, as well as running a higher compression ratio thanks to reduced detonation from the octane boost.

A separate ethanol-only tank will be required, but, like urea injection systems used on new-generation clean diesels, the ethanol tank will only require periodic filling due to the small amounts of ethanol used.

This means ethanol top-ups may only be required with scheduled servicing to simplify the ownership experience.

While the system sounds impressive, Ford Australia does not yet feature any vehicles set to be fitted with either the Eco-Boost V6 or Bobcat V8 engines. We’ll keep you up to date with any developments as they come to hand.