2003 Ford E-450 7.3 Turbo Diesel Truck/ Van Cutaway on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Ford 1.0L EcoBoost a hit in Europe; Build a tiny inverter, win $1 million

In Europe, Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is the best-selling turbocharged gasoline engine. The three-cylinder motor powers 20 percent of new Fords sold in Europe. Earlier this year, it won its third International Engine of the Year award, and between January and June, it was sold in about 120,000 cars. So far this year, 38 percent of Fords sold in the Netherlands, 35 percent in Denmark and 32 percent in Switzerland have been powered by the 1.0-liter EcoBoost. The engine's turbocharger spins at 248,000 rpm, and provides 24 psi of pressure. The engine produces up to 138 horsepower, depending on the version. Read more in the press release below. When lithium-ion battery packs are retired from the road, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling are worthwhile options, according to a study by Mineta Transportation Institute. The study included a cost-benefit analysis of those three options, and found remanufacturing to be the best route. To get the most out of them, batteries should be tested and have their damaged cells replaced then put back to use. Repurposing is the second best option, using the remaining available charge for something besides cars. Recycling on its own isn't profitable, but it could make economic sense with "increased technological breakthroughs." Learn more at Recycling International or download the report here. A smaller inverter for EVs can win you $1 million. The Little Box Challenge is an open competition to build a power inverter with a density of at least 50 watts per cubic inch. Google and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) are offering the hefty prize to the team that builds the inverter with the highest power density within an enclosed volume of 40 cubic inches. Teams must register by September 30. Read more at Green Car Congress or learn more at the Little Box Challenge website.

2014 Ford Fiesta Titanium

You might not be interested in owning a subcompact (B-segment) hatchback for $20,000. Let's be clear from the get go here: there are any number of reasonable arguments for staying away from the highest-content versions of these small cars. Ford's player in the B-segment arena is the newly updated 2014 Fiesta, and the Titanium trim represents the most luxurious instantiation of the model. We recently were loaned a Fiesta Titanium for a week, whose final sticker price hit $20,390, with navigation being the only standalone option added to the bottom line. By way of comparison, the most basic version of the all new, one-segment-up Mazda3 hatchback costs $19,740 with delivery and destination accounted for, and no options added on.
Hold on to that thought for a moment, we'll get back to it.

This 2,000-hp Mustang is in serious need of wheelie bars

The Ford Mustang on the right is drag racing with the standard technique. The Mustang on the left, driven by David Measell, is using a new "rear bumper only" technique that evidently surprised everyone at the South Georgia Motorsports Park strip - including Measell.
Measell said his outfit just bought the car the week before the event, noting that it has more than 2,000 horsepower. Speaking of his "flying" run, Measell said, "We turned it up to dip on down," by which he meant they turned up the power in order to get his time down. Turns out all that power and all that traction sent the nose straight up into the air almost as soon as the race began.
He told an interviewer afterward that this was his first race in a "regular car" since he normally drives a pro-mod. "I like my wheelie bars," he concluded. You can see how he got there in the video below.