Carmaker Ford has started the production of the EcoBoost engine at its factory in Craiova, Romania this week. The company wants to manufacture 800,000 such engines at its factories in Romania and Germany between 2012 and 2015.

The production of cars equipped with this engine will also triple, as the engine is more powerful and more efficient fuel wise. Ford will manufacture 480,000 cars equipped with the new engine in 2015, from 141,000 in 2011.

Both versions of the EcoBoost model, the 100 HP and 120 HP will be available for the new B-Max model, that will enter series production at the Craiova factory within around a month.

Earlier in March, Ford announced it would start hiring for its factory in Craiova, with 500 new job additions planned, according to the company.

The soon-to-be-employed people will work on the B-Max model and the EcoBoost engine. The recruiting process will end in May. After the 2007 privatization of the Craiova car factory, Ford promised to hire several thousand people.

The car maker will manufacture 60,0000 B-Max units this year at Craiova, and plans to build 100,000 more next year. The company had to invest EUR 675 million in technology and produce as many as 250,000 car units by March this year, according to the 2007 privatization contract, but it recently reached a deal with the Romanian state to delay some of the investments and some penalties for a lower than initially agreed production level.

editor@romania-insider.com