Where Are Ford EcoBoost Engines Made?

Ford's EcoBoost engine family is a shining example of downsizing. It is made up of a series of small gas engines, from 1.0 to 3.5 liters, that work by leveraging innovative technologies like turbocharging, direction injection, and variable camshaft timing to produce power levels similar to bigger naturally aspirated engines while delivering increased fuel-efficiency and lower emissions. Due to this balance of economy and performance, they unsurprisingly feature in lots of different Ford vehicles, from performance cars to trucks, and even SUVs.

The first production EcoBoost engine, the 3.5-liter V6, arrived in 2009 in the Lincoln MKS, but quickly made its way into other Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including the Flex, the Taurus SHO, and the Lincoln MKT. Soon enough, the EcoBoost grew into an entire range with various EcoBoost engines of different capacities and cylinder counts all making their way into the mainstream. With the EcoBoost lineup being so broad, you might be wondering where all these engines are manufactured. 

While it's common to see automakers outsource engine production to third-party suppliers, Ford handles its EcoBoost engine manufacturing in-house. However, instead of concentrating production activities entirely in the U.S., Ford produces its EcoBoost engines in five other countries across different continents. These include Spain, Germany, Romania, China, and India, with China alone boasting two production locations. 

Previously, 2.0 and 2.3 inline four-cylinder EcoBoost engines used by Ford cars in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico were produced at Ford's plant in Valencia, Spain, before being shipped to North America for vehicle assembly. However, Ford later decided to move production to the U.S. in a bid to boost output and streamline production. Hence, the Blue Oval's Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 in Brook Park, Ohio now manufactures 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four engines for the North American market. The 2.0-liter version is found in current Ford and Lincoln models such as the Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick, Ranger, and the Lincoln Corsair.

The 2.3 inline four-cylinder variant, meanwhile, features famously in the S650-generation Ford Mustang EcoBoost, Bronco, the Ranger. Other than the 2.0 and 2.3 inline four-cylinder mills, the Brook Park plant is responsible for the F-150 Raptor's 3.5-liter V6, the regular F-150, the Lincoln Navigator, and the Ford Expedition. It's worth mentioning that the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 is the most powerful EcoBoost engine, as when nestled beneath the hood of the likes of the F-150 Raptor, it generates a staggering 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque.

Another one of Ford's U.S. engine facilities is the Lima Engine Plant in Lima, Ohio, which builds the 2.7-liter and 3.0-liter EcoBoost lumps. These two engines are related, in the sense that the 3.0-liter Nano V6 is based on the smaller 2.7-liter Nano V6. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 powers the current-generation Ford Bronco (not the Raptor), as well as the Ford F-150 and Ford Ranger trucks. The EcoBoost 3.0-liter Nano V6 engine, meanwhile, features in the Lincoln Aviator, Ford Ranger Raptor, and the sporty Ford Explorer ST, where it makes a whopping 400 horsepower.

Outside the U.S., Ford's Valencia plant is one of its busiest. It produces the 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder EcoBoost engines powering the likes of the Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Nautilus. These engines are also found in Ford vehicles such as the Escape and the Explorer. Over in Germany, Ford manufactures the 1.0-liter inline three-cylinder EcoBoost engine in its Cologne engine plant, which employs 810 workers. As the smallest EcoBoost engine, the 1.0-liter mill is primarily for smaller cars, like the Focus and the Puma.

Also in Europe, the Blue Oval builds the 1.0-liter inline three-cylinder EcoBoost engines used in the Chinese-market Ford Mondeo, in its engine facility in Craiova, Romania. Meanwhile, in India, production of the EcoBoost 1.5-liter line three-cylinder Dragon engine was done at the Sanand engine plant until recently. Ford also has no shortage of places to produce its EcoBoost engines in China, with the JMC Xiaolan gas engine production plant owned by Ford and the Jiangling Motor Corporation taking care of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine production. 

The location is said to be responsible for approximately 200,000 engines each year, of which around 100,000 are said to be 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder units. Finally, for the EcoBoost 1.5-liter inline-four Sigma engine, manufacturing happens at the Changan Ford engine plant.