FORD F-150 TO GET 4.4L V8 DIESEL? Truck enthusiasts may be able to drive a Ford F-150 with a diesel engine in a few years, according to a recent Automotive News article. Ford is developing a 4.4-liter V8 diesel engine that, if approved for production, could find its way into the F-150 pickup in two or three years. Ford is well along the planning process for producing this diesel engine, which is a scaled up version of a 3.6-liter V8 that Ford began producing for Range Rovers at a plant in England. Ford says that they have wanted to put a diesel engine in a half ton pickup for years and was looking at outside suppliers to build the engine. The company now says that they wish to produce the engine themselves. The engine would be manufactured in the same plant in England that produces the 3.6-liter diesel and be shipped to the United States, and Ford says that they could produce up to 100,000 diesel-powered F-150s per year. Industry experts have been indicating that the diesel market is poised for growth in the coming years. For example, Pierre Corriveau, Director of Marketing for Honeywell Turbo Technologies, the manufacturer of Garrett Turbos, says that “the demand for heavy duty pickups over 8,500 GVW continues to grow despite an overall flat industry.” He expects the demand for diesel-powered heavy-duty pickup trucks to increase further over the next several years. How much will diesel vehicle volume increase? Corriveau forecasts an increase from 600,000 sold in 2005 to 1,000,000 diesel passenger vehicles around 2010. Source: “Ford has an F-150 diesel in the works,” Automotive News / SEMA Research and Information Center
