Ford Introduces Tri-Flex Fuel Truck Concept
08 January 2006
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| The F-250 Super Chief tri-flex fuel concept burns gasoline, E85 or hydrogen. |
Ford used the North American Internal Auto Show in Detroit as the venue to introduce a tri-flex fuel truck concept that runs on gasoline, E85 ethanol blend or hydrogen.
The F-250 Super Chief, which took its design cues from the Super Chief locomotive, uses the same Ford 6.8-liter V-10 Triton engine deployed in the company’s E450 H2ICE trucks. (Earlier post.)
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| Click to enlarge. |
A supercharger provides an 18 psi boost for hydrogen fuel only. When running on hydrogen, the supercharged V-10 provides up to 12% fuel economy improvement on an energy equivalent basis versus a non-supercharged gasoline V-10. In addition, when operating on hydrogen, the Tri-Flex V-10 generates 99% less CO2 emissions than when running on gasoline.
The engine features a dual injection system: one handling gasoline and E85, the other, developed with Quantum, the hydrogen. The F-250 Super Chief stores 11.2 kg of hydrogen in a 700-bar tank system.
| Ford F-250 Super Chief Tri-Flex Fuel Concept | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | E85 | Hydrogen | |
| Power | 310 hp (231 kW) | 310 hp (231 kW) | 280 hp (209 kW) |
| Torque | 576 Nm | 576 Nm | 542 Nm |
| Supercharge boost | – | – | 18 psi |
| Fuel economy | 12 mpg US | 8.6 mpg US | 13.6 miles/kg |
| Range | 336 miles | 241 miles | 150 miles |
| Emissions rating | ULEV | ULEV | SULEV |
What a steaming pile of turd. Give me a diesel ford focus. Interesting it gets 12mpg. That is the goal Wal-mart has set for their OTR fleet. Way to go Ford. How many years do I get to work to pay for this thing?
JRod.
Posted by: JRod | 08 January 2006 at 11:16 AM
Seriously, 12 mpg?! I'm super excited about this one...
Posted by: Jesse Jenkins | 08 January 2006 at 06:35 PM
I think you guys are missing the point here. This vehicle is showcasing the "tri-fuel" concept, and how it could apply to vehicles, flexibly using gas, ethanol or hydrogen. Of course, all these systems currently probably weigh more than a whole Focus, hence the need to showcase it in a large vehicle (miss the locomotive reference?). The important point here is the fact that all three of these fuels are used in one engine, and achieve an impressive emmission rating. Thats the message here, not mpg. Kudos to Ford.
Posted by: Mark A | 08 January 2006 at 07:57 PM
I am also pretty excited about the 13.6 miles/kg hydrogen when someone else is talking about a 70 miles/kg fuel cell car.
Posted by: rexis | 09 January 2006 at 12:05 AM
Excuse me people but its a TRUCK a very heavy duty truck using fords largest engine modified to both be flex fuel and hydrogen burning.
12 mpg is in fact a little high for such a massive truck and engine.
Posted by: wintermane | 09 January 2006 at 03:06 AM
Wintermane-
Really? You think 12 mpg is respectable? 310hp and 576 NM of torque? The ford superduty with a Powerstroke is listed at 325hp and 800Nm of torque. I couldn't find the epa's rating for mileage, but looking around the web it seems when it is empty people can get about 30% more than 12mpg. Mark, I didn't miss the locomotive reference. I think you may have though, since I am sure you know what type of fuel locomotives burn.
I have a prediction: "The overwhelming majority of americans will be turned off by a vehicle that takes three different fuels. Turned off mostly by the price tag."
Investing in the technology of tomorrow has to start somewhere I know, but I get frustrated when we don't use the technology we have. I think someone could build a smaller truck (F-150) and put in a diesel motor half the size of the powerstroke and get 30mpg. I think people would line up to buy it, but no one is building a pickup like that (at least not here).
JRod.
Posted by: JRod | 09 January 2006 at 09:34 AM
Uh the powerstroke is the diesel option of course it gets 30% better econ;/ Its also a smaller engine thats turboed this engine is only turboed when running on hydrogen.
Posted by: wintermane | 09 January 2006 at 09:54 AM
WM-
I guess we are not after the same things. I would rather have better economy, a smaller engine (with better performance), and a turbo. You presented these items like they were undesireable. I am just glad you didn't mention the 99% reduction in CO2. That would have shut me up, or at least had me stammering about lack of infrastructure, short range, blah blah blah. These are things that can be overcome.
Cheers,
JRod.
Posted by: JRod | 09 January 2006 at 10:45 AM
I'm curious why a report on the Hydrogen Forecast and other places I've seen are claiming Ford has said the range can be 500 miles with any of these fuels. My guess is that means if instead of 2 tanks (or are there 3?) one liquid one gaseous, it was all hydrogen or all gasoline/E85 it could get 500 miles.
From hydrogen forecast...
"Ford claims the vehicle could travel 500 miles between fill-ups with any of these fuels."
Story here:
http://www.hydrogenforecast.com/ArticleDetails.php?articleID=284
Posted by: MonsterTruck | 09 January 2006 at 04:20 PM
The press release was a bit snarled with that one. It says "enabling the supercharged V-10 to run for 500 miles between fill-ups on hydrogen, E85 ethanol or gasoline."
What it *should* say is "enabling the supercharged V-10 to run for about 500 miles between fill-ups on hydrogen and gasoline and/or ethanol."
The combination of (hydrogen and ethanol) is stretching it. The two together would yield 391 miles in range. Gasoline and hydrogen yield 486 miles according to the specifications released with the vehicle. To hit 500, you'd need all three fuels.
Posted by: Mike | 09 January 2006 at 05:49 PM
Oks let me explain its a gasoline engine not a diesel so it will get lower fuel econ then a diesel DUH! It is however getting rather good fuel econ for a gas engine of its size pulling what its pulling.. a big truck.
The hydrogen is great for going into cities say in europe that require cars be that extra lower emissions or face fees. It also makes sense for light trucking where some places might have hydrogen some might have e85 and others just some other e or plain gas.
Oh and its not 3 tanks its 2 the gas-e85 tank you fill with anything from gasloine thru e5 e10 e20 to e85 and it adjusts. The 500 mile range is gasoline and hydrogen and very likely would improve in a production model as they likely would tune the engine more by then eeking out better econ AND expand the gas tank likely with a second gas tank.
Remember it IS a concept truck the production model is years away and will be very different.
Posted by: wintermane | 09 January 2006 at 06:26 PM
"when operating on hydrogen, the Tri-Flex V-10 generates 99% less CO2 emissions than when running on gasoline."
Woohoo!! NO Fking sheet! Really....why would they write something like this to market their O'mighty Ford engine, any high school kids with abit of chemistry knowledge will know when you burn H2(hydrogen) and "Pure" Oxygen(O2) you make water, not CO2!!!
Why dont they just say this engine is 100% free of radioactive material, then any noob consumer will go woooooo I must fork out my 100k, refinance my house to get this truck.
Posted by: Peech | 09 January 2006 at 10:17 PM
I'm surprised that using a bit of the H2 injected into the normal gasoline combustion process doesn't serve to increase efficiency and provide better fuel economy. 12mpg really is pretty abysmal even for a large truck of this size and HP.
I guess its an one or the other situation? Either H2 or gas/E-85?
Posted by: Lance Funston | 13 January 2006 at 10:29 AM
Yes, you're either running on H2, or on Gasoline/E85.
Posted by: Mike | 13 January 2006 at 11:11 AM
How big is the hydrogen tank (volume) and what is the range in miles running on one tank of hydrogen?
Posted by: Baby Peanut | 17 January 2006 at 12:50 PM
Running on gas with a bit of h2 likely would happen in the production model when they get around to building a multifuel truck.
Also just as likely they would also make a desel h2 version as well for long haul light trucking.
In realty this is just research on the control systems and engine mods needed to get many types of fuel to run on the fly as they expect the future to involve several fuels not just 1.
Posted by: wintermane | 19 January 2006 at 02:01 AM
Hydrogen is listed on the periodic table as just H not H2 like so many people are putting it.
Posted by: AACAL | 19 January 2006 at 07:23 AM
Hydrogen is listed on the periodic table as just H not H2 like so many people are putting it.
Posted by: AACAL | 19 January 2006 at 07:25 AM
What is this, some Mad Max world we live in where one suburb's servos only deals in Hydrogen while others in Ethanol and gasoline?
The engineering feat of mating such technologies so you can concievably run all fuel types in one car is cool I guess. But aren't outlandish concept cars supposed to hint some way to the practical and subtle? Does Ford believe the future is going to be a mishmash of confusion about what fuel is going to be used or available to the public? Absurd.
Posted by: Adrian | 19 January 2006 at 08:24 AM
Hydrogen gas is diatomic. It naturally exists in the form of H2 molecules.
Posted by: RMichael | 31 January 2006 at 04:29 PM
dear peech,
walk up to a random person on the street and ask them what are the byproducts of hydrogen combustion.
i think you'll be surprised wit what you get.
kudos.
Posted by: lensovet | 31 January 2006 at 04:32 PM
Well this isn't a new concept. 1950s and older military trucks were multi fuel. Running on anything from canola oil to scotch. Old idea, new tech, still no efficiency.
Sad Ford, just sad.
Posted by: jim | 19 April 2006 at 09:56 PM
the purpose of this engine is FLEX FUEL meaning you dont have to drive around at 13mpg of gasoline, you know why? because it can run on hydrogen... and hey guess what, hydrogen is free seeing as how you drink it everyday
Posted by: jeramaih | 07 June 2006 at 01:02 PM
12, 13 mpg - it is not acceptable, If you can't get 200 mpg out it than it is not worth the spit on a baboon's butt!
Posted by: warren | 16 June 2006 at 06:21 PM
The important thing is that it uses hydrogen and will start to wean us off of petro. The fact that it will run on 3 different fuels will help us slowly build the hydrogen fueling infrastructure. It is a step in the right direction. If Americans would realize that it is not practical to drive a 3 ton SUV to work with one person in it, then Ford would probably use another vehicle to demonstrate it, but we haven't gotten to that point as a society yet. Go watch An Inconvenient Truth and drag everyone you know with you. It may change some peoples lifestyles.
Posted by: Ed | 18 July 2006 at 08:12 PM