Ford is celebrating the production of its 500,000th EcoBoost-equipped vehicles. The milestone car is a 2013 Ford Escape that rolled off the line at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant. EcoBoost engines entered production about three years ago, and quickly became a hit for their balance between performance and fuel economy.

The EcoBoost family includes a wide range of engines, from the award-winning 1.0-liter three-cylinder unit, to the more popular 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, and the powerful 3.5-liter V6. It is even used in Ford’s hybrid models such as the C-Max, in which it returns 47 mpg combined.

In fact thanks to the magic of EcoBoost, by the end of next month, customers will be able to choose eight Ford-built vehicles that deliver 40 or more miles per gallon. And it’s like Hyundai’s fake 40 mpg. It’s genuine!

By 2013, more than 90 percent of Ford’s North American lineup will be available with an EcoBoost engine. Today, Ford offers EcoBoost engines in 11 North American nameplates, with four more coming in 2013.