40 Million Engines in 50 Years, a Reason to Celebrate

[xcel]

Ford’s UK Dagenham plant reaches milestone.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - July 13, 2012

Ford of Britain employees celebrate 40,000,000 engines produced milestone.

50 years at the Ford Dagenham facility has produced a whale of a milestone with the fact they have now built 40 million engines which according to the manufacturer is “enough to stretch 20,000 miles, or four fifths of the way around the globe, when placed end to end!”

Ford Dagenham has been engineering and manufacturing engines since 1931 according to the company release but now specializes in Ford’s hyper efficient turbo diesel engines for its European and world car lineup building 1 of every 2 Ford turbo diesel engines globally. This includes the very desirable (by us anyway ) Econetic series, Ford’s most fuel-efficient 1.6L TDCi turbo diesel.

The mighty 1.6L TDCi in a Fiesta Econetic

Ford 1.6-litre TDCi turbo diesel propels the latest Ford Fiesta ECOnetic with a combined fuel economy rating of 68.5 mpgUS on the NEDC or as high as 55 mpgUS on our own EPA if it were allowed here. That’s right, 55 mpg!

Production for complete vehicles accounts for approximately 70 percent of Dagenham’s total output, with over 270,000 engines being built for Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Volvo.

Export numbers

Total production of gasoline fueled engines from Ford Bridgend in Wales and turbo diesel engines from Ford Dagenham is sufficient to power one-in-three of Ford vehicles produced across the globe. These two plants have a total combined UK production capacity of two million engines, of which over 85 percent are exported. And not a single one of those 2-million hyper efficient engines are sent here

In 2003 an additional plant was opened at Ford Dagenham – the wind-powered Dagenham Diesel Centre – following an investment of $500 Million USD. The plant employs over 300 highly skilled design and engineering workers in addition to hundreds of specialized manufacturing positions.

What can 40 million engines can do? How about power all of the 35 million vehicles driven on British roads last year with planet of engines to spare!

A manufacturing facility with much of its electrical production being produced by wind while making one of if not the most fuel efficient mainstream engine in the world today. The question has to be asked. Why can’t Ford do that here?

Other Ford UK Dagenham manufacturing facility stories we have covered in the recent past...

• Wind Power to Build 100% of Your Automobile?
• Ford of Britain at 100
• Ford's Engineering Teams at Work in the UK
• Ford UK is 100 Years Young and Stronger than Ever!
• Ford of Britain @100 – The Model Y
• The Ford Story continues… $2.3 Billion USD to be spent on green investment in UK R&D
• Ford’s UK Dagenham's turbo-diesel engine plant to receive its third wind turbine

And yet major auto manufacturers in the US are supposedly struggling to meet our meager 27.5 mpgUS real - CAFÉ’ in just 4-short years

[EdwinTheMagnificent]

The question has to be asked. Why can’t Ford do that here?

Maybe a better question might be , "Why won't North Americans buy cars like the Fiesta
ECOnetic ?" Or would they ? Which major manufacturer (besides VW) is willing to take the gamble ?
Sigh.

[herm]

Americans prefer to spend $2k on an appearance package with alloy wheels and expensive tires. Tires that will wear out in a couple of years.

[worthywads]

which according to the manufacturer is “enough to stretch 20,000 miles, or four fifths of the way around the globe, when placed end to end!”

Always hate the "when placed end to end", "if stacked one on top of the other" type "visual".

I conclude the average ford motor is 31.7 inches.

[RedylC94]

I agree. It's kinda dumb, but apparently needed to properly impress innumerates.

[50 mpg by 2012]

And not a single one of those 2-million hyper efficient engines are sent here

Now you are addressing the question I have been puzzling over since 2007.

I wonder who builds Volvo's fuel efficient diesels ...

I have to assume Hyundai/Kia and Mazda build their own.

I guess VW is the only company smart enough to meet US emissions requirements so far.

Maybe Mazda ... 2013?

I know we should soon get a diesel US Cruze. But, will it get over 40 mpg(US) combined? IF not, why bother?

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by 50 mpg by 2012

I know we should soon get a diesel US Cruze. But, will it get over 40 mpg(US) combined? IF not, why bother?

Because it would still be significantly better than a gasoline Cruze and, unlike the Cruze Eco or the new hybrids, have a tow rating of at least 1,000lbs?

Because it would disrupt VW's diesel monopoly in the standard market and might actually make them stop putting the same 2.0L diesel in all of their cars?

Because it would be built by a US company in the USA and put more pressure on certain companies to assemble hybrids in the USA?

[herm]

Because you prefer giving your money to a GM dealership vs a VW to totally rebuild your engine and fuel system after the high pressure pump explodes.. you know you will get a fair deal at the GM dealership.