While Ford has been hard at work developing autonomous mobility solutions for its future vehicles, the Blue Oval brand has not forgotten about one very important trait that new vehicle owners look for in a car—fuel efficiency. In fact, it has just invested a huge sum to ensure that this will be a hallmark of its offerings in the years to come.
Ford has just put in $200 million in a new aerodynamic testing complex that will house a wind tunnel and rolling road conveyor. To be built on a 13-acre lot next to the company’s current Allen Park, Michigan Drivability Test facility, the real-world driving simulator is designed to approximate the world’s best and worst conditions to ensure that each Ford vehicle is up to spec—or better—in handling every situation thrown at it.
The rolling road simulator, for instance, uses both a single-belt and five-belt system. Each one is meant to show just how the vehicle will perform at various speeds. This will test parameters like stability, fuel economy, and the like. And each system can go as fast as 322kph, for true high-speed testing.
Another facet of the Ford aerodynamic testing complex is the wind tunnel. This one ups the ante by allowing the car to pass through conditions as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit, or as sweltering as 140 degrees Fahrenheit—colder than the Arctic and hotter than the Sahara, respectively. Again, it’s all with the goal of making sure that every Ford will perform at its best, no matter where it is in the world. Moreover, the wind tunnel can help shape the Fords of tomorrow in the most aerodynamic way possible, all in the name of meeting that fine line between efficiency and aesthetics.
And that’s the beauty of this new facility. It will bring the driving and weather conditions to the vehicle, even as early as the development phase. This means engineers and designers can make the necessary tweaks in the early stages before hitting the production or even prototype stage. All this to ensure that every Ford will indeed go further—more efficiently, of course.
Ford will begin construction within the year.
