A New Era Dawns for Ford with Start of EcoBoost Engine Production at Storied Cleveland Plant

Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 becomes the first Ford manufacturing site to produce advanced fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines

Ford invests $55 million to retool and reopen Cleveland Engine No. 1; 250 jobs have been added to the plant to produce the new engines

EcoBoost uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology for up to 20 percent better fuel economy, 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger displacement engines

EcoBoost will first be available this summer on the 2010 Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT, Ford Taurus SHO and Ford Flex, expanding availability to 90 percent of Ford's nameplates by 201

CLEVELAND, May 19 -- Ford Motor Company today marked the start of production of its advanced fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines at Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 - a key step in Ford's plan to deliver leading fuel economy across millions of vehicles.

Ford invested $55 million to retool and reopen the plant, which had been idled in 2007. Approximately 250 employees are returning to the plant to build the new engines.

EcoBoost technology combines turbocharging and direct gasoline injection to deliver up to 20 percent improved fuel economy, 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance compared with larger displacement engines. The "downsize and boost" strategy provides consumers better fuel economy without sacrificing the power they want for driving performance.

"This launch of the first EcoBoost engine is a significant milestone in Ford's overall commitment to deliver affordable fuel efficiency for millions," said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Powertrain Engineering. "We've spent the past two years developing EcoBoost technology and now our customers will finally have the opportunity to experience what this engine delivers, the power of a V-8 with the fuel economy of a V-6."