Ford showcases light weight concept for a Greener tomorrow!
As the carmakers are downsizing the engines they are also shedding the extra kilos. Gone are the days of gas guzzling mighty V6's and V8's, automaker nowadays lure to pump out power output of a larger capacity engine from a minuscule three-four cylinder by a magic called 'Turbo-Charging'.
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The manufacturer's are also slashing the extra weight from the vehicle by using several new light weight materials. Continuing the spree, Ford Motors recently introduced a light weight vehicle concept. The concept emphasizes on the future light weight mobility for enhanced performance and efficiency. The concept is currently under experimental phase to be used for mass production.
Raj Nair, Ford group Vice President, Global Product Development, stated, “Consumers today want better fuel efficiency, but they also want more technology and features in the car, which usually adds weight to the vehicle,” he further added, “A focus on light-weighting will be fundamental to our industry for years to come, and we are investigating many advanced materials applications as possible solutions for weight reduction in our vehicles.”
The light weight concept is built on Ford Mondeo (remember Ford India used to sell Mondeo here) featuring various materials ranging from aluminum, carbon fiber, advance high strength steel, magnesium and other composite materials. The light-weight concept Mondeo (premium saloon) weighs nearly 1,179kg equivalent to a premium hatchback!
Carbon fiber is extensively used in the car, the dash board and seats are carved out of carbon fiber including several powertrain, body and chassis components. The concept vehicle sports composite coil springs at front and hollow steel springs at rear – both are currently going under rigorous tests for mass production.
The upcoming 2015 F150 pickup truck from Ford shed in excess of 300kg using high strength steel and aluminum. Approximately 10 years ago, 'Blue Oval' introduced the all-aluminum Ford GT in 2005. The company is in constant endeavor to make sustainable mobility.
“Our goal was to investigate how to design and build a mixed-materials, lightweight vehicle that could potentially be produced in high volume, while providing the same level of safety, durability and toughness as our vehicles on the road today,” commented Matt Zaluzec, Ford technical leader, Global Materials and Manufacturing Research.
“There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to light-weighting. The Lightweight Concept gives us the platform to continue to explore the right mix of materials and applications for future vehicles,” he further added.
