Ford F-150, Large SUVs To Get New Clean Diesel

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WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. is working to get clean-dieselversions of its popular F-150 and large SUVs into the lineup, confirmed Mark Fields, theautomaker's president of The Americas, in a speech here onWednesday.

Fields was short on specifics, but he said "we're planning cleandiesels for the F-150 and our large SUVs" in remarks at "Plug-inElectric Vehicles 2008: What Role for Washington?" Ford also showeda plug-in version of the Escape Hybrid with E85 flex-fuel capability.

Ford reportedly is developing its own 330-horsepower 4.4-literturbodiesel V8 for the F-Aeries and Expedition , Inside Line has learned, but it's not expected to be available untilmodel-year 2011.

Fields emphasized that government must play a role in developingnew technologies to lessen dependence on foreign oil. "Based on thenecessary research and development costs, manufacturing andproduction investments, the lack of a national refuelinginfrastructure and the lack of domestic battery manufacturing, itseems clear that a business case will not evolve, in the near term,without support from Washington," he said.

"The governments of Japan, China, Korea and India are significantlyfunding the research development and deployment of plug-in hybridvehicle technologies," Fields noted. "This is a race we must win.We should not trade one foreign energy dependency for another."

Fields also confirmed that Ford's EcoBoost, its high-volume,turbocharged direct-injection gasoline engine family, will "migrateacross the lineup so that, by 2013, we'll build up to half amillion vehicles annually with EcoBoost." He said the Lincoln MKS will get EcoBoost in 2009, "followed quickly by the new Ford Flex and F-150."