Ford Plans Carbon Fiber Future to Help Shed Up to 750 Pounds Per Car
Already several years into a switch to more efficient EcoBoost engines, the next big move for the Ford Motor Company in the fight to reach increasingly strict fuel economy targets is to significantly reduce the weight of its vehicles.
To help meet those goals the American automaker has today announced a partnership with Dow Automotive Systems to develop low cost, light weight carbon fiber vehicle components.
The goal, says Ford, is to help shed as much as 750 pounds per vehicle by the end of the decade. While carbon fiber is used by a few smaller automakers or in limited production vehicles, Ford’s plan is to integrate the light-weight yet ultra-strong material into its mainstream volume products.
“There are two ways to reduce energy use in vehicles: improving the conversion efficiency of fuels to motion and reducing the amount of work that powertrains need to do,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford chief technical officer and VP of Research and Innovation. “Ford is tackling the conversion problem primarily through downsizing engines with EcoBoost and electrification while mass reduction and improved aerodynamics are keys to reducing the workload.”
Reducing weight, says Florian Schattenmann, head of R&D for Dow Automotive Systems, is, “particularly critical to improving the range of plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.”
Ford and Dow will work together to create an affordable way to source carbon fiber as well as a low cost method to integrate it into volume vehicles.
If successful, the use of carbon fiber components on volume cars like the Focus, Fusion and Mustang could happen by the end of the decade.
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
More by Colum Wood
Comments
Join the conversation
Shed 750 pounds but add 7500 to the already high price
Mustang high priced? Maybe if you pack it with unneeded gizmos and gadgets but that goes for any car. $24k for 305hp and $40k for 420hp is a great value. If we can learn anything from the aviation industry, going carbon fiber won't cut as much weight as designers might hope. My guess is the 1st gen carbon fiber Mustang might way 100-200lb less. That being said I can't wait to see what the future brings from Ford.