- Ford on Tuesday showed off a prototype carbon-fiber hood that could be used in high-volume manufacturing of its battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
- The carbon-fiber hood takes Ford a step closer to making an affordable version of the material usually associated with racecars and high-end sports cars.
- Carbon fiber is one-third the weight of steel and would help Ford cut the weight of its cars by up to 749 pounds by the end of the decade, the automaker said.
Ford on Tuesday showed off a prototype carbon-fiber hood that could be used in high-volume manufacturing of its battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
The carbon-fiber hood takes Ford a step closer to making an affordable version of the material usually associated with racecars and high-end sports cars.
Carbon fiber is one-third the weight of steel and would help Ford cut the weight of its cars by up to 749 pounds by the end of the decade, the automaker said.
"It's no secret that reducing a vehicle's weight can deliver major benefits for fuel consumption, but a process for fast and affordable production of carbon-fiber automotive parts in large numbers has never been available," said Inga Wehmeyer, advanced materials and processes research engineer at Ford's European Research Center, in a statement. "Ford is working to develop a solution that supports cost-efficient manufacturing of carbon-fiber components."
Dow Automotive Systems and Ford are working to develop an "economical source" of automotive-grade carbon fiber, along with high-volume manufacturing methods. Ford said both are "critical to increasing the range of future Ford battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles."
Courtesy of Edmunds Inside Line
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