ECOnetic - Design Philosophy

Design Philosophy

As opposed to developing hybrid vehicles like Toyota did with the Prius, Ford of Europe took a different design philosophy: to create vehicles that are as fuel efficient as possible today, without compromising driving experience.

Hence the ECOnetic range doesn’t rely on different fuels, batteries or ‘bolted on’ technology, but improved design and refinement of existing technology. ECOnetic develops three main streams of improvement:

• Aerodynamics: models have a redesigned front bumper skirt, which are more aerodynamic, and reduces drag further through use of a smaller lower grill. The car is then lowered on its suspension to improve angle of address to the air, in the case of the Focus by 10 millimetres (0.39 in) on the front, and 8 millimetres (0.31 in) on the rear. To the side, skirts are introduced together with hubcaps designed to improve airflow. A new and extended rear spoiler reduces rear drag
• Resistance: Ford worked with Michelin to create a thinner tyre with lower rolling resistance. The engine's bearings are replaced with lower-resistance versions
• Efficiency: engineers re-mapped the 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine, equipped with a coated Diesel Particulate Filter (cDPF), and recalibrated the power steering system. The ECOnetic was the first Ford car to use low-friction transmission oil, which is now uniform on all 1.6-litre diesel European-produced Fords. The first version of the ECOnetic did not use higher gear ratios, as engineers found that fitting longer gear ratios in the five-speed gearbox hindered driveability. The proposed 2012 Focus version will have a six-speed gearbox, with sixth gear an effective high-gear overdrive.