Ford Motor Company has announced an investment of $145 million in their Cleveland, Ohio engine production facility where the F-150 EcoBoost engines are produced. Specifically, FoMoCo is investing $145 million to support increased production of the second generation EcoBoost V6 engine for the 2017 model year, which includes the new high performance Raptor EcoBoost. This investment will allow the company to better handle the demand for EcoBoost powered pickups and in doing so, it will allow the Cleveland plant to create or preserve at least 150 jobs.
EcoBoost V6 engines continue to grow in popularity across a variety of models including the Explorer, the Expedition, the Flex and the Taurus, but none are as popular as the EcoBoost F-150 packages. The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 has been a huge success since it was introduced years ago, but the popularity of the EcoBoost lineup was bolstered heavily with the addition of the new 2.7L EcoBoost V6. This new EcoBoost is the most fuel efficient gasoline engine in the half ton segment, making it a great option for someone who wants a better balance of capabilities and MPGs from their new F-150. As a result of the second EcoBoost V6 engine, the ratio of EcoBoost F-150 pickups has continued to grow through the 2015 and 2016 model years.
“Ford customers have embraced EcoBoost’s unbeatable combination of power and efficiency, with more than 60 percent of F-150 customers choosing trucks powered by EcoBoost,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas. “This second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine is another great example of Ford continuously improving and innovating to give these hardworking customers the best engines and trucks we can.”
The Cleveland plant doesn’t build the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engines for the F-150, but it does make the 2.0L and 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder engines, along with the naturally aspirated 3.7L V6 for the base model Mustang. With the Raptor almost guaranteed to be a smashing success, Ford is preparing for all-new levels of demand for the 3.5L engine at the same time that the smaller EcoBoost engines continue to grow in the other models.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
