The Car Tech blog

(Additional source: Ford Motor Company)

Ford uses shopping carts to test the performance of new pressure-based airbag sensors.

(Credit: Ford)

It may sound easy enough, but don't try this at home. To test the performance of new pressure-based air bag sensors equipped on the 2010 Taurus and 2009 Ford F150, Ford engineers have employed equipment more commonly found in shopping malls than in laboratories, such such as water cannons, basket balls, shopping carts.

Unconventional as these tests may seem in a state-of-the-art testing facility, it's exactly what these vehicles might encounter in the real world and what engineers need to test against.

As part an effort to achieve the highest safety ratings, Ford has replaced acceleration-based sensors with pressure-based sensors that more accurately measure the severity of a crash.

These new air bag pressure sensors, according to Ford, have several advantages over air bags equipped with acceleration-based sensors: they deploy 30 percent faster, perform better in new federal side-impact and oblique-impact tests, are less likely to be affected by vehicle design differences, and give designers more flexibility because they take up less space.

This 2007 Ford Mustang has been converted to an electric vehicle by start-up Plug-in Motors.

(Credit: Plug-in Motors)

A fully electric passenger vehicle from Ford is still a couple years away, but in the mean time, Plug-In Motors --a Missouri-based start up-- has been developing the process and technology to convert existing Mustangs and F150 trucks their current conventional powertrain to one that's all-electric.

But the cost of this environmentally conscious move doesn't come cheap. These comprehensive conversions can cost $75,000 for a Mustang or F150 with an 85-mile range or $125,000 for a 200-mile range.

The high price tag is a result of the top-of-the-line components used by Plug-in Motors, says CEO Kurt Neutgens, who spent 17 years as engineering manager at Ford. The powertrain parts are sourced from the same company that Telsa uses, and the selected batteries are expected to last approximately 200,000 miles for the 85-mile range conversion and 400,000 miles for the 200-mile range conversion. The company's electric motors will last approximately 1 million miles, Neutgens claims, and the regenerative braking is affixed to the accelerator, which extends the life of the brakes.

These durable components don't come cheap, and Neutgens is hoping economies of scale kick in soon. But in the mean time, you have to start somewhere, he says.

Closing the affordability gap are state and federal tax credits, he points out. Colorado grants an 85 percent tax break on the cost of conversions, and Oklahoma grants a 50 percent tax break. Factor in the $7500 federal tax credit, and the cost to convert a Mustang or F150 is reduced to $14k and $28k respectively.

That means that the payback can be less than 50,000 miles at $3 per gallon of gasoline, and even sooner if fuel prices rise in the near future. Neutgens maintains a list of many of the electric and plug-in vehicle tax break incentives on his website.

For early adopters who can't wait for Ford to roll out an all-electric product of their own, he's arranged partnerships with three Ford dealerships in Colorado and Oklahoma willing to sell and service his converted vehicles.

Source: Cleantech Group

(Credit: Automotive News)

Ford's restyled and re-engineered 2009 F-150 pickup is going back to its roots as a work truck.

With high fuel prices deflating sales of pickups for personal use, Ford will emphasize best-in-class towing of 11,300 pounds and best-in-class payload capacity of 3,030 pounds in advertising that begins next month.

The messages will be directed at tradesmen, contractors, farmers and others whose livelihood requires a big pickup. "We know that those core truckers are people who are dependent on and need capability," says Doug Scott, Ford brand truck marketing manager.

Core buyers represent about 49 percent of Ford's pickup sales this year, up from 32 percent in 2003.

The basics: The F-150's frame has been re-engineered to boost payload and towing capacity. High-strength steel provides 10 percent more rigidity and cuts 100 pounds of weight. Ford says the frame also helps cut road noise and vibration five percent.

Ford claims an eight percent average improvement in fuel economy for all 2009 F-150 models. Part of that increase is due to the addition of a six-speed automatic transmission, which is available with two V-8 engines.

Another contributor is the Superior Fuel Economy package, which targets such areas as axle ratio, tires, and aerodynamics. It is available on two-wheel-drive XL and XLT models, resulting in 15 mpg city/21 highway.

Six airbags are standard, as is stability control, roll-stability control, and trailer sway control. Much of the sheet metal is new and more aerodynamic, another factor boosting fuel economy.

On the inside, Ford reworked the instrument panel, interior trim and seats. Previous F-150 owners complained about the seats. "You were sitting on it rather than sitting in it. That was a major focus," says Scott. "We spent a lot of time working on comfort and lateral support. Different seat frame, different cushions."

Notable features: The crew cab's passenger compartment was stretched six inches to create more rear-seat legroom. Engineers created a flat floor behind the front seats. When the rear seat is flipped up, large items such as a 52-inch TV can fit on the flat floor.

A factory-installed computer with instrument-panel display and Internet access is optional. Also optional is Ford's tailgate step, which drops down to ease entry into the cargo box. The step was introduced on the 2008 Super Duty model.

What Ford says: "Capability matters more now than ever," Scott concludes.

Compromises and shortcomings: The regular cab 2004-08 F-150 came standard with two full-size doors and two smaller access doors, which provided easy access to the cargo area behind the front seat. The access doors are no longer offered on the 2009 regular cab.

Nuts and bolts: The first 2009 F-150 pickups started arriving at dealers in September. The F-150 is available in three cab styles, four box options, and seven trim levels.

The skinny: Full-size pickups are in a deep recession, as personal-use buyers stay away. Ford did its homework and reworked the truck for its core buyers: tradesmen.

(Via: Automotive News)

(Credit: Automotive News)

The 2009 Ford F-150 pickup has help for forgetful tradesmen who lose tools.

Each tool can be tagged with a small chip that has a small antenna. The radio-frequency identification system scans the cargo box and provides a list of missing tools on an in-dash computer monitor.

Fifty identification tags are included in the package. Additional tags are $1 each. The option has a sticker price of $1,120, on top of a $1,195 computer package that provides high-speed Internet access.

Radio-frequency identification also can be used by hunters and fishermen to track gear, and by pharmaceutical workers to track expensive samples.

The Internet access will help tradesmen with various tasks.

"Imagine an electrician needs a wiring diagram," says Bill Frykman, Ford's product business development manager. "He will go to a Web site and print it out at a wireless printer in his truck. If he needs to change an invoice, he can log on to his work computer (at his office), print out the new invoice with the job changes (in his pickup) and give it to the customer."

The computer, developed by Magneti Marelli, uses Microsoft Auto software. It will be available this year on the 2009 F-150, SuperDuty and Econoline models.

(Via: Automotive News)