EcoBoost, DCTs, and stop-start for the masses

High-value, high-volume technologies are driving Ford's near-term conventional powertrain strategy, explains engineering chief Barb Samardzich.

Barb Samardzich conveys an easy, matter-of-fact enthusiasm about her company's plans for developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient power from conventional technologies. She likes to emphasize it is all about numbers.

“To make a difference it can't be 1000 units, it can't be 10,000 units. It has to be millions of units and it has to have a global reach,” Samardzich, Ford's Vice President of Powertrain Engineering, explained.