Ford Expedition gets the Ecoboost treatment in 2015

Video HERE  Why blogger won't embed is beyond me.

It was bound to happen, and I for one can't believe it took the good guys at Ford this long to plunk the Ecoboost 3.5LV6 into the Expedition. I can't think of a better place to put this power train than in the Expedition.  That simple engine swap makes the Expedition uber competitive with the Tahoe from Chevy and the Sequoia from Toyota.

The 5.4L V8 it replaces was a good, durable engine, but lacking in power and refinement compared to the V8's of its immediate competition.  The Ecoboost solves that in spades and will likely yield better mileage than the Chevy in the process.

The particulars.   The outgoing V8 produced respectable 310 horsepower and 365 ft lbs of torque.  It was thirsty, sucking down fuel at the rate of 14 mpg on the generous EPA estimates for city driving.  Real world in the Ecoboost with 365 horsepower on tap and a whopping 420 ft lbs of torque.  Couple it with 2 fewer cylinders to feed this next iteration of the Expedition with the Ecoboost will pick up an easy couple of mpgs over that out going V8.  Having your cake and eating it too I say.

Its competition has V8s, but are weak compared to the Ecoboost.  Chevy 5.3L small block V8 generates only 320bhp and epa estimates of 15/21.  The Toyota Sequoia has a large 5.7L V8 that generates 381 thirsty horsepower with an epa estimate of 13/18.  The Ecoboost hits right in the middle with power.  EPA estimates aren't available yet, but the 2014 F150 with this engine is rated at 16/22 and I'd expect similar ratings out of the Expedition.

The Expedition Platinum I got to peak at the other day has MyFord Touch and navigation. The automatic tranny is a full 6 speeds and has the option of full manual mode, or partial locking in gear ranges for better speed control in hilly country.  There is an optional independent rear suspension with mechanical leveling that should take the squat out of full loads quite nicely.  There's even a new trailer brake control (TBC) that better synchronises your brakes/trailer brakes for safer trailering.

Aside from the drop dead gorgeous gray interior of the Platinum edition that's in this video, there is also a King Ranch edition named after the fabled ranch in Texas that was founded in 1853.  The King Ranch edition is swathed in deep brown  leather with the center console branded with the King Ranch brand.  Nice.

Walk around sneak peak tour of the 2015 Mustang V6

At a recent event Ford had posed for our picture taking a 2015 Mustang with a stunning two tone Leather interior. Quizzing the Ford Rep I leanrned this is the base V6 with the premium leather upgrade.  It also had navigation and MyFordTouch...the car was locked as it was still a "prototype" so I couldn't get in and squish around in the seats and get interior pics.

The color was metallic gray that was absolutely stunning on the car.  Prolly a bugger to keep clean and shiny looking all the time, but very nice none-the-less.  This exact color combo inside and out is what I want for mine...providing the lovely Mrs Fraz is serious about letting me swap out her Milan for a new 'stang in another year or so.  I think she'll love this combo as much as I do as its similar to the '84LX she had when we were dating all those years ago.

Much has been written about the 2015 Mustang, a lot of it by me so I won't regurgitate it all again, google it and look around for the details.  In short the car will come in 3 flavors of powertrain, base V6 is 3.7L and slightly detuned from this year, a 305+bhp 2.3L Ecoboost and a 5.0L V8 to start at launch this fall.

The Ecoboost is my choice for a lot of reasons, less weight in the front will give it an edge in handling.  At cruise or bump and grind traffic it will be less thirsty than even the already thrifty V6. Plus it not being the V8 it will be cheaper to insure in the long run.

Much has been written about weight on the Mustang in the last few days. I was disappointed to learn that coming roof crush standards added weight to the car instead of the reported weight loss some 6 months ago.  Its still svelt compared to the Camaro, but I really expected better.  Weight gain is estmated to be 50 pounds on the base V6/ecoboost models and a whopping 200 lbs on a GT Premium.  The latter is quite a bit.

Ford has quite a bit of additional information on the 2015 Mustang on their web site HERE.  I'm quite anxious for them to opening up the "build your own" so I can option out what I want and begin stashing away the coinage for one of my own.

2015 Ford F150 Sneak Peak

Massive and lighter don't always coincide. They do with the new F150 from Ford due out this fall as a 2015 model.  Through the extensive use of "military grade" Aluminum this truck is reportedly at least 700 lbs lighter than the outgoing model.  Changes like that impact everything about this truck.  Smaller engines can be used yielding better fuel economy without sacraficing power we are used to.  Handling improves as much as straightl line performance.

I gotr a sneak peak  up close and personal at a prototype of the truck.  I could walk around and kick the tires, but I couldn't get inside. Bummer as the inside looks markedly different and appeared to use my better materials than the outgoing truck, and that one is nothing to sneeze at in terms of all around goodness.

Twin -LED headlamps are visible up front. In the rear there are back up cameras on this Lariat trimmed model.  Ditto back up sensors, kind of redundant, but very helpful if you will use the beast for trailering.

Powertrains are where the big shake up happens for this truck.  Gone is the 3.7L replaced by a 3.5lV6.  Remaining is the 3.5L Ecoboost and 5LV8 Coyote.  New to Ford and this truck is a 2.7L Ecoboost V6 with stop/start technology that will easily add 10% to its city numbers when that feature can fuction.  (Ford enables the start/staop feature when you don't have a heating or airconditioning need).  The new 2.7 Ecoboost I look forward to driving most, that's a tiny engine, but with the weight loss it should be ample to power this truck in all but heavy duty towing situations.  Of course I know Ford doesn't build engines for a single product and can't help but wonder where else this powertrain will show up...

The inside of the truck had a massive navigation system, presumably a version of MyFordTouch adapted to the needs of the truck.  Reports are that there will be power outlets inside the truck that will make it possible to recharge your mobile devices as well as power tools.  Something handy for the dude that buys the truck for work and for the soccer moms that love them too.

Here are a few of the key new features on the truck cribbed from a press release:

• Is nearly 700 pounds lighter
• Features two EcoBoost powertrain choices, 
• 2.7L EcoBoost with Auto Start Stop
• Is built with a military-grade aluminum body on a steel frame
• Features safety technology such as Lane-Keeping System and 360-degree camera views
• Helps save gasoline costs
• Features high power outlets for charging mobile devices or power tools

• LED headlamps and LED sideview mirror spotlights
• Active park assist
• 8-inch productivity screen
• Inflatable rear safety belts
• Smarter trailer tow module

• 
  

CMax Solar Energi Concept

Making the most of the sun in sunny So Cal


I really love this concept and when Ford invited me down to their Los Angeles Regional Office (in Irvine?) I jumped on it.  I'm a solar kinda guy, made the decision to fall off the grid last year and don't regret it at all.  A plug-in hybrid with a solar panel on the roof should have been a no-brainer, but it took the folks like  Mike Tinskey at Ford and his team to come up with a way to make it practical.  Mike is the Global Director of Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure so he knows a lot about this topic.

Solar panel efficiency has gotten better in recent years, now up to 21% of energy captured converted to power.  This isn't enough however to give a full charge to the car in an average city like someplace back east like Charleston SC, but in a city like Los Angeles the potential is there to bring the batteries to a full charge during the course of an 8 work day.

Ford teamed up with the folks at Georgia Institute of Technology and came up with a carport looking lens concentrator that would effectively increase the amount of light hitting the panel to maximize electricity production.  The car is on a platform that would move and track the sun during the course of the day to ensure best possible light concentration on the panel.  This technology primitive as it is hints at greatness to come.  Imagine it.  Plug in at night, drive your 20 miles or so to work in EV mode, charge by the sun and drive home the other 20 miles on a solar charge home.

Why is this important?  A lot of reasons.  We are cursed with the highest density and gridlocked traffic where this bump and go is actually the EV/Hybrids strength as all that stopping is an opportunity to regenerative brake charge the batteries.  The use of a hybrid/EV serves to lessen significantly the pollutants and green house gases being emitted all working to give us cleaner air.

Interesting stats came out of this meeting.  The last couple of years the hybrid/EV has accounted about 3-4% of all car sales here in the U.S.  The startling bit of that stat is that fully half of those sales took place right here in California.  Leaders in the transition to sustainable CLEAN transportation.

A few nifty factoids on the CMax Solar Energi concept and the potential it represents.
·         C-MAX Solar Energi Concept eliminates the need to plug in and charge a hybrid vehicle altogether. It harnesses the power of the sun by using a special concentrator that acts like a magnifying glass, directing intense rays to the panels on the vehicle’s roof
·         C-MAX Solar Energi Concept represents an exciting possibility for the future of mobility. This prototype is part of Ford’s vision for imagining what sustainable transportation will look like in 2024 and beyond and the near-, mid- and long-term steps we must take to get there
·         Internal Ford data suggest the sun could power up to 75 percent of all trips made in a solar hybrid vehicle. That means a typical owner can avoid sending more than four metric tons of greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere ever year.
·         According to our climate scientists, if all light duty vehicles (cars and trucks) in the US adopted this approach, we’d reduce greenhouse gas emission (GHG) by more than 1 billion metrics tons per year.

Sneak peak at a couple of 2015 Chevy's

 2015 Chevy Cruze

2015 Chevy Malibu?

My little corner of L.A, is used for filming a lot of commercials.  Car commercials in particular are done here as it could be Main Street anywhere USA.  

First up was the face lifted 2015 Chevy Cruze which I blogged about when it was first introduced.  Solid little car that I actually liked quite a bit.  The image isn't that great as I was trying to grab the pic with security folks yelling and trying to get people, especially people with cameras out of the way.  The grill is new, larger more like the familial face...or a cross between next generation Focus and a Dart, not bad, but falling into the the trap of familiar rather than unique face of tis own.

The second car, not sure which model it is.  I think its the Malibu, but I'm not sure as it was devoid of side badging and I couldn't get to the rear for a close look.

Contest courtesy Turtle Wax to win a new "stang

I just found out about this contest. Go to twitter and follow @TurtleWax.  Tweet your reflection photo with the hashtag #reflectie and the @TurtleWax in the body of your text with your reflection in a car by July 14 2014.  From there some entity will pick out the 10 best and an online voting contest will start August 1st running through September 1...and winner presumably annoucnced shortly there after.  Full contest rule HERE.

I've got gawd knows how many reflecties out there from the various events and car shows I've attended.  I'll enter a few as wtf...its worth a shot at winning a new 'stang.  Here are just two:

What kind of driver should you be?

I keep coming up Rally Driver or a variation there of.  What sort are you?  This gem showed up in my email today and it made me laugh. Hard.   Out Loud.