The Ford EcoBoost strategy for the coming year got its own boost through an announcement made at the 2010 model year preview in Dearborn, Michigan. The next generation EcoBoost 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine will arrive in 2010. The engine upgrade will be coupled with the debut of a Powershift six-speed dual clutch gearbox.

For the future, Ford is advocating the use of a dry clutch system over the wet clutch option. The experts at Ford believe that the dry clutch is far more efficient when used on existing DCTs-which currently use the wet clutch system.

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Ford Motor Company expects to electrify around 10% to 25% of its vehicles in one way or the other by 2020.  According to Nancy Gioia, director of hybrid vehicle programs of Ford Motor Company, the first step towards achieving the company’s vehicle-electrification goal is “to convince drivers that plugging-in makes sense.”

Ford Mustangs ... waiting to be electrified

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The technology evolved a lot and diesel cars these days run smoothly, are just as clean or cleaner than those running on gas and some 30% percent more fuel-efficient. Take the new Ford Fiesta ECOnetic which gets an astonishing 65 mpg and will go on sale from November, in Europe, and only Europe.

For financial reasons which makes it a pricey to import but also because the US market is not yet prepared for a clean diesel – that’s why only 3-percent of the cars run on diesel, Ford decided to keep the new Fiesta ECOnetic away from the States. And just for the records, diesel engines these days are not those old smelly stuff we remember and won’t shake your body like a tractor, while driving it.

I’m not sure if the US will ever embrace the diesel, but my bet is on no, because there are far more alternatives, and I’m talking about hybrids here, than in Europe. The new Prius is going to sell for $24,000 in the States while if Ford was to bring their 65 mpg Fiesta it would be priced at some $25,700. It’s obvious what people would choose, right?

However, international automakers like Mercedes Benz, Nissan and Honda are still decided on promoting a clean diesel on the American market, and if they succeed, it’s going to be a big drawback for Ford, which already had their winner lined up.