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How Fuel Economy Can be Found in the Wind
Ever wish you could sneak inside of Ford engineering? See what’s going on in the engine dyno labs? See what’s being driven on the test track? With this exclusive video, we give you a glimpse of the new Ford Explorer undergoing testing inside the wind tunnel. Well, actually a clay mockup of the new Explorer. We also provide insight into how Ford designers and engineers work together on vehicles. These are the real guys, not clay figures.
Brian Izard is the Explorer Senior Designer and Van Stewart is the Lead Aerodynamicist. Brian needed to make sure that the new SUV still looked like an Explorer and a Ford, but make it look more modern, rugged and refined. Van knows that aero is a significant part of efficiency, and there were significant goals set for fuel economy improvement on the next Explorer.
There’s quite a bit to how design and engineering worked together to deliver improved fuel economy* and a design that continues the Explorer lineage.
The next-generation Explorer will be built at the Chicago Assembly Plant on a flexible assembly line alongside the new Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans. The all-new Ford Explorer goes in to production later in 2010. You can follow the latest news about the 2011 Explorer by clicking here to become a fan of Ford Explorer on Facebook.
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Ford does a good job creating efficient powertrains, and thier idea that 4WD is better than RWD in large vehicles (such as the Taurus, Explorer, Edge, and Flex) makes a lot of sence, however, I'm pretty sure using FWD over RWD in these large vehicles is simply robbing them of thier best performance figures, and towing capacities (at least for the suv's). Ford should get rid of the FWD option in these vehicles, and replace it with a RWD option, for various reasons. For example, making the Explorer, and Flex RWD will help increase thier towing capacity, and help them to handle better, since, through proper gearing, the torque could be vectored around a turn. As for the Edge, and Taurus, it would greatly help thier overall performance figures, by making them weigh less (than a 4WD), and handle better for reasons stated before. Ford already has plenty of technological goodies to aid the 4WD systems in these vehicles, so why not adapt them to an efficient, and cost effective RWD system?
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