Over the last few decades, automobiles have gotten heavier and heavier as consumers demand more standard equipment, and safety standards have been raised to include numerous airbags along with other government-mandated equipment. However, the more weight that is added to the vehicle, the more difficult it is to achieve expected fuel economy standards set forth by the government, and automakers are looking to many different manufacturing methods and potential technologies to try to work back towards more manageable vehicle weights. We’ve seen this in the previously announced 2015 F-150, which makes extensive use of aluminum throughout the vehicle’s structure.
Ford has continued to build upon that theme, recently releasing information about the Fusion concept that was developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program, together with Cosma International – a subsidiary of Magna International.
The Lightweight Concept reduces the weight of a 2013 Fusion to that of a Ford Fiesta – a near-25-percent weight reduction. “Consumers today want better fuel efficiency, but they also want more technology and features in the car, which usually adds weight to the vehicle,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “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 Lightweight Concept makes use of new-generation materials, including aluminum, ultra-high-strength steels, magnesium, and carbon fiber along with chemically-toughened glass and advanced lightweight plastics to achieve the vehicle’s light weight.
An aluminum front subframe, 1.0L EcoBoost 3-cylinder engine, carbon fiber instrument panel and seats, composite front springs and hollow rear springs, and even carbon-fiber wheels are onboard. The engine allows the same type of performance as the Fusion’s current powertrain thanks to the vastly reduced weight.
A glimpse into the future? We have no doubt that as the costs associated with these manufacturing techniques fall, they will be incorporated into the technology you can buy right off the showroom floor.
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