Can a small gasoline motor produce power equal to a large diesel? Not currently, but if Ford's engineers get a new range of ethanol-boosted engines into production, that may well be a possibility.
According to PickupTrucks.com, the new engine range (codenamed "Bobcat") expands upon the premise of Ford's upcoming EcoBoost powertrain. The engines will, like EcoBoost, use turbocharging and direct fuel-injection on smaller blocks, allowing them to create power comparable to larger engines while delivering up to twenty percent better fuel economy.
The "Bobcat" motor starts with the EcoBoost technology, but adds an ethanol-injection system. This isn't to say that the alcohol fuel powers the engine itself, but is occasionally squirted into the combustion chambers. Doing that allows the engine to run at higher compression ratios without knocking.
The result? PickupTrucks.com says a 5.0-liter turbocharged V-8 with direct injection and the ethanol boost could produce close to 500 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque. In comparison, the 5.4-liter normally-aspirated V-8 found in the 2008 Ford F-150 produces 300 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque, while the 6.4-liter PowerStroke turbodiesel V-8 in the Super Duty yields 350 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.
Aside from producing power comparable to a diesel, rumor has it a Bobcat-style engine would be cheaper than a PowerStroke, and could even improve fuel economy by an extra five- to ten percent.
Source: PickupTrucks.com