長(zhǎng)久以來(lái)，福特（Ford）一直認(rèn)為，正是“選擇的力量”讓公司發(fā)展壯大至今。如今，全球汽車行業(yè)在動(dòng)力裝置方面充滿了各種“選項(xiàng)”。除了傳統(tǒng)的內(nèi)燃發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)之外，各種替代推進(jìn)系統(tǒng)層出不窮，包括輕混動(dòng)推進(jìn)系統(tǒng)、插電式混動(dòng)動(dòng)力系統(tǒng)、純電動(dòng)推進(jìn)系統(tǒng)、燃料電池系統(tǒng)等，而且更多替代燃料和小型/增壓內(nèi)燃機(jī)也接連出現(xiàn)，這也讓各家汽車集團(tuán)的產(chǎn)品和公司管理工作更加復(fù)雜，福特也到了必須作出“選擇”的時(shí)刻。
福特汽車動(dòng)力總成工程全球副總裁 Dave Filipe 在面臨不斷增加的新型解決方案時(shí)必須作出一些艱難抉擇，這也將最終決定福特汽車未來(lái)的產(chǎn)品生產(chǎn)研發(fā)走向。但好的一面是 Filipe 本人非常喜歡福特的肥沃的工程研發(fā)土壤，且堅(jiān)信自己優(yōu)秀的團(tuán)隊(duì)有能力解決面臨的挑戰(zhàn)。最近，在他位于迪爾伯恩的辦公室接受采訪時(shí)，F(xiàn)ilipe 表示，“你可以認(rèn)為這是挑戰(zhàn)，但卻讓我充滿激情，現(xiàn)在有哪家公司有明確的戰(zhàn)略？誰(shuí)愿意為產(chǎn)品投資？并投入資源實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo)？”
Filipe 在 2017 年 9 月接替了 Bob Fascetti 擔(dān)任福特動(dòng)力總成負(fù)責(zé)人，他對(duì)汽車動(dòng)力系統(tǒng)領(lǐng)域的變化速度有充分意識(shí)。Filipe 表示，“我昨天上午剛剛參加了一次技術(shù)會(huì)議。但想想六七年前我們討論的都是哪些問(wèn)題？‘好吧，我們現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是六速，要不要繼續(xù)推出八速或十速？’對(duì)的，我們當(dāng)時(shí)也認(rèn)為這些問(wèn)題充滿挑戰(zhàn)。”
全電動(dòng) + 內(nèi)燃發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)
是的，如今似乎每天都有“汽車行業(yè)將進(jìn)入全電動(dòng)時(shí)代”的宣傳報(bào)道，但 Filipe 認(rèn)為，目前原廠當(dāng)下的任務(wù)是按照不同市場(chǎng)，推出不同的解決方案搭配。“我們知道全電動(dòng)時(shí)代即將到來(lái)，我們也一定會(huì)參與其中。比如，我們會(huì)在未來(lái)三到四年內(nèi)擁有 8款全電動(dòng)車型；而且，最重要的是，我們還在 Rivian 投資了5 億美元，以便加快新產(chǎn)品的上市速度，加速該領(lǐng)域的發(fā)展。因此，你可以看到我們對(duì)全電動(dòng)時(shí)代的到來(lái)沒(méi)有絲毫懷疑。”Filipe解釋說(shuō)，“很多分析師都對(duì) 2030 年的情況有自己的預(yù)測(cè)，但到時(shí)候只有客戶才能讓一切‘真相大白’。”
Filipe 指出，盡管“全電動(dòng)”風(fēng)靡一時(shí)，但不同市場(chǎng)卻需要不同的產(chǎn)品組合搭配。“我們無(wú)法決定電動(dòng)汽車在市場(chǎng)中的比例，可能是 10％、20％ 或 30％，但我們能做的是盡量提升我們電動(dòng)汽車產(chǎn)品的吸引力。但無(wú)論如何，市場(chǎng)仍有 70% 將屬于內(nèi)燃車型，因此我們還在同時(shí)致力于為這部分市場(chǎng)提供不同的解決方案。”
“我們?cè)诨恳还P錢(qián)時(shí)都必須有充足理由，這也是我們對(duì)內(nèi)燃發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的態(tài)度。但這并不意味著我們的投資最終將沒(méi)有回報(bào)，因?yàn)樵谖磥?lái) 10 到 12 年內(nèi)它仍將在全球產(chǎn)品組合戰(zhàn)略中扮演重要角色。”Filipe 表示，“我們可以為內(nèi)燃機(jī)車型配備電動(dòng)功能，作為純電動(dòng)汽車的有力補(bǔ)充。”
“在福特，我們致力于對(duì)混合動(dòng)力車采取雙管齊下的方法，”Filipe 指出，“首先是我們的Power Split 電子無(wú)級(jí)變速器，現(xiàn)在是我們的模塊化混合動(dòng)力技術(shù)（MHT），我們是唯一一家為全電動(dòng)車型配備第二套動(dòng)力系統(tǒng)的廠商。對(duì)于一些客戶常有牽引需求的較大車型來(lái)說(shuō)，比如探險(xiǎn)者、F-150 皮卡等，這就是最理想的解決方案。”
柴油機(jī)轉(zhuǎn)型和推桿 V8 發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)
在被問(wèn)及如何看待最近經(jīng)常為人所指的傳統(tǒng)燃料時(shí)，F(xiàn)ilipe 表示，“近幾年，柴油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)領(lǐng)域的趨勢(shì)發(fā)生了變化，特別是在歐洲地區(qū)。如今，除了歐洲城市明確表示他們不喜歡柴油機(jī)外，世界各地的客戶也都對(duì)柴油機(jī)有了新的想法。在短短的幾年內(nèi)，柴油機(jī)的比例顯著減少，這些變化我們都看在眼里。”
Filipe 介紹說(shuō)，“我們正在分析、簡(jiǎn)化并調(diào)整面向歐洲市場(chǎng)的柴油乘用車產(chǎn)線。但與此同時(shí)，商用車領(lǐng)域的客戶仍很重視柴油機(jī)。此外，就在此時(shí)此刻，我們剛剛向歐洲市場(chǎng)推出了一款新的插電式混動(dòng) Transit 商用車。重申一下，我們已經(jīng)開(kāi)始調(diào)整公司的產(chǎn)品組合，但也同時(shí)意識(shí)到部分客戶對(duì)柴油車型的需求。”
“在美國(guó)市場(chǎng)中，柴油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)在 Super Duty 等重型車輛中的表現(xiàn)非常不錯(cuò)，我們需要做的是提供一種替代解決方案。對(duì)此，我們已經(jīng)計(jì)劃將推出一款扭矩非常高、尺寸更大的 V8 發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。”Filipe 在介紹公司綽號(hào)“哥斯拉”的全新 7.3L OHV 八缸汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)時(shí)表示，“重型車輛世界的客戶最關(guān)心車輛的工作性能和擁有成本。對(duì)于這些客戶，重型車輛是汽車，但更是工具。我們比較了所有選項(xiàng)，并最終認(rèn)為對(duì)此最好的解決方案是‘推桿發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)’。我們已經(jīng)很久沒(méi)有為汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)采用推桿設(shè)計(jì)了。”
隨著電氣化時(shí)代的投資壓力不斷增加，很少有公司在大規(guī)模的產(chǎn)業(yè)轉(zhuǎn)型中為內(nèi)燃發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)留有單獨(dú)預(yù)算。福特與大眾汽車（Volkswagen）有戰(zhàn)略合作，且同時(shí)收購(gòu) Spin 等移動(dòng)出行創(chuàng)業(yè)公司，并投資了 Rivian。如今，汽車公司必須滿足當(dāng)下的盈利要求，并同時(shí)為大量未來(lái)技術(shù)進(jìn)行投資。不過(guò)，福特汽車高管 Filipe 認(rèn)為公司團(tuán)隊(duì)的“創(chuàng)新能力”和“靈活性”足以幫助公司戰(zhàn)勝挑戰(zhàn)：“我們的團(tuán)隊(duì)擁有創(chuàng)新精神，非常擅長(zhǎng)設(shè)計(jì)系統(tǒng)解決方案并創(chuàng)造價(jià)值方程，這對(duì)所有人都是雙贏。”
新型移動(dòng)出行時(shí)代的到來(lái)如此急迫又如此重要，F(xiàn)ilipe 作為公司領(lǐng)頭人勢(shì)必得付出更多努力。在被問(wèn)及每天幾點(diǎn)上班時(shí)，F(xiàn)ilipe 表示，“我每天來(lái)上班的時(shí)候天還沒(méi)亮。”但他同時(shí)指出，“我在公司已經(jīng)工作 27年了。我知道，我們擁有令人難以置信的優(yōu)秀人才，而且他們還在不斷進(jìn)步。過(guò)去幾年，我們已經(jīng)在電氣化方面申請(qǐng)了1300 多項(xiàng)專利。我一直在向我們的團(tuán)隊(duì)學(xué)習(xí)，也為可以與他們一起踏上征程而激動(dòng)不已。”
Ford has always touted its “Power of Choice,” and when it comes to automotive powerplants, the industry is entering a new age of propulsion options. The wellspring of alternative powertrains entering the field – from mild- to plug-in hybrids; battery electrics to fuel cells; alternative fuels and downsized/boosted internal combustion engines – has made the role of managing a global engineering group significantly more complex.
With expanding solutions unfolding before him in real-time, Dave Filipe, Ford's global VP of powertrain engineering, has some powerful decisions to make, ones that will ultimately guide Ford's future product viability. Luckily for Filipe, he says he relishes the fertile engineering environment and the challenges facing his capable teams. “You could call it a challenge, but I love it,” Filipe said during a recent Automotive Engineering interview in his Dearborn office. “What other company is out there right now who has these clear strategies and who’s willing to invest in its products, and uses its team to deliver that?”
Filipe, who took over the top Ford powertrain spot from Bob Fascetti in September of 2017, is aware of how quickly the powertrain space is changing. “I was at a technical conference yesterday morning, reminiscing that six or seven years ago, we were thinking about, ‘OK, we're at six speeds today. Do I go to eight or ten?’” Filipe said. “Yeah. I thought those were challenging days.”
Each day sees some prognostication of a fully electrified mobility future, but for today's OEMs, Filipe envisions a mix of solutions, by market. “We know all-electric is coming and we will be a player. We're going to have eight all-electric vehicles over the next three to four years. On top of that, we invested $500 million in Rivian to add a product to the market quickly to help accelerate in that space. So, fully committed to all electric,” Filipe explained. “A lot of analysts have projected what 2030 looks like, but customers are going to dictate that.”
Filipe noted that though “all-electric” is all the rage, a mixed portfolio approach will be needed to serve the various markets. “Since we can't dictate how much all- electric's going to be in the marketplace—and it could be 10-, 20-, 30-percent—we'll make our products as appealing as possible to the customer for all electric. In the meantime, we are trying to address that remaining 70% of the portfolio, which will be ICE based.”
“We have to rationalize what we spend where, and we're doing that on the ICE side. But when you do that, it doesn't mean it goes to zero, because ICE is still going to be a significant role in the global portfolio for the next 10 to 12 years,” Filipe said. “And we could use it nicely combined with electrification to compliment an all-electric BEV.”
“At Ford, we're committed to a two-pronged approach on hybrids,” he noted. “The Power Split, which is electronic CVT, and now our modular hybrid technology (MHT). We're the only OEM to complement our all-electrics with a second powertrain system, and it's the right solution for heavier vehicles—Explorers, F-150s—where customers want towing.”
Diesel shifts and pushrod V8s
“In the world of diesel, the trends have shifted in recent years, particularly for Europe. Not just cities in Europe showing they're not fond of diesels, the customers are starting to weigh in,” Filipe said when queried on the future of the recently chastised fuel. “And we see that movement down. Within a handful of years, a significant reduction.”
“In Europe, we are adjusting course. We're simplifying and rationalizing what we have in our passenger- car diesel lineup,” he explained. “But at the same time, on commercial vehicles, that customer is still looking at diesels. We're also introducing a plug-in hybrid version of a Transit in Europe as we speak. So again, starting to shift our portfolio and recognize that diesel is wanted by certain customer segments.”
“In the U.S., what we're trying to do in this space is offer an alternative to the diesel that works very well in a Super Duty. And this is a very high-torque, larger V8 that we're going to provide,” Filipe said, referencing the new 7.3-L “Godzilla” OHV gasoline V8. “In the world of Super Duty where it's all about work, cost of ownership, it's a tool. We looked at all the options, and we think the best answer in this case was coming out with a pushrod engine, which we haven't done in a long, long time on the gasoline side.”
With investment costs for the electrified age looming, few companies seem prepared to go the budget alone on the massive industrial shift. Ford has strategically engaged with Volkswagen, while acquiring mobility startups such as Spin and investing in Rivian. Key in making it to the future while surviving the balance sheet is a great supply base, which Filipe credits for its innovation and agility: “They are innovative, and very good at systems solutions and creating the value equation, because it's got to be a win-win for everybody.”
With so much at stake in this nascent new mobility era, is Filipe getting to the office earlier these days? “It's dark out,” Filipe conceded about his morning schedule, but he noted, “I'm hitting 27 years with the company. We've got incredibly talented people who keep getting smarter, and we've filed over 1,300 patents in the past couple years on electrification alone. I just enjoy being on the journey with the team because I keep learning from them.”
Author: Paul Seredynski
SAE Automotive Engineering
福特的全新 7.3L 汽油 V8 發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，綽號(hào)“哥斯拉”，將登陸 2020 款 Super Duty 皮卡系列。這也是福特近幾十年來(lái)推出的首款全新 OHV 汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。
“我們?cè)诨恳还P錢(qián)時(shí)都必須有充足理由，這也是我們對(duì)內(nèi)燃發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的態(tài)度。但這并不意味著我們將終止對(duì)內(nèi)燃發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)研發(fā)的投資，因?yàn)樵谖磥?lái)10 到 12 年內(nèi)它仍將在全球產(chǎn)品組合戰(zhàn)略中扮演重要角色?！?/span>