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Ford's new Transit, which will replace the Crown Victoria for taxi duties, may not use nanotech, but it employs a turbocharged diesel for increased fuel economy.
Ford hopes to extend the use of nanotechnology to its automobiles.

Nanotechnology is a topic that has been discussed quite frequently on DailyTech over the past few months. Even within the past weeks, research in nanotechnology has shed light on the use of nanoparticles to treat cancer, nanomachines to release anti-cancer medication directly into cells, chemical nanobrains, and nanowires used as cancer detectors.

Nanotechnology, however, may also end up appearing in something that might not first come to mind: automobiles. Ford hopes to use nanoparticles in a number of key areas in vehicle development ranging from lightweight plastics to reduce weight to advanced paint that provides better adhesion and durability.

"Industry is becoming more efficient at creating nanoparticles," said Ford Research and Advanced Engineering Materials Science & Nanotechnology Department manager Matthew Zaluzec. "Our challenge is to take those nanoparticles, separate them and disperse them into existing materials in a way that makes our vehicles lighter, more durable, and more fuel efficient."

The use of nanotechnology will allow Ford to produce stronger and lighter plastics for use in interior and engine components as well as exterior moldings/accessories. Nanotechnology will also be used to create lighter cast aluminum structures for engine blocks.

"Many thought our aluminum engine technology was mature and fully optimized," continued Zaluzec. "Not until we looked at every aspect of the materials and manufacturing process were we able to pull out another 10 percent in structural performance out of our engines, which directly translates into weight and fuel economy savings year over year. It's nano at the working level."

Ford's efforts with nanotechnology are a part of an overall goal to reduce vehicle weight by 250 to 750 pounds (depending on the model in question) over the next 12 years. The reduction in weight, however, will not come at the expensive of vehicle safety according to Ford.

Ford's research into nanotechnology is being bolstered by its alliance with Northwestern University and Boeing. "Since nanotechnology can impact such a wide range of vehicle components and functionalities, it provides a versatile toolkit for meeting anticipated customer expectations for performance, comfort, convenience and quality," stated Ford Boeing Northwestern alliance manager Erica Perry Murray back in February.

"We are pleased to be involved with such an innovative company as Boeing and a university as esteemed as Northwestern," added Ford’s vice president of Research and Advanced Engineering, Dr. Gerhard Schmidt. "Although our products are different in many ways, we share a common goal of innovating for the future together."

Industry analysts predict that by 2015, nanotechnology will be used in 70% of vehicular applications and generated yearly revenues of $7B USD.

Ford’s use of nanotechnology to improve vehicle fuel efficiency should mesh nicely with the company’s goal of using turbocharged, “EcoBoost” engines to improve fuel economy in a wide range of vehicles and vehicle types.

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Transit or Colt?
By Suomynona on 4/16/2008 2:12:24 PM , Rating: 2
Wow, that Transit is incredibly ugly. It looks like one of those early-90s Colt Vistas.




RE: Transit or Colt?
By ninjit on 4/16/2008 2:21:56 PM , Rating: 2
If I remember correctly, in Europe the Ford "Transit" is a small delivery-type van (to fit all those narrow Europeans side-streets).

Looks like this new taxi may be based on that platform.


RE: Transit or Colt?
By Samus on 4/16/2008 2:33:12 PM , Rating: 2
That transit has a nasty color scheme. They normally don't look that bad, but that one takes the cake.

And are those headlights from an 08 Focus??


RE: Transit or Colt?
By ImSpartacus on 4/16/2008 4:04:08 PM , Rating: 1
Who says Taxi's need to look good? That's what limos are for. Taxi's are cheap.

Have you ever seen a civilian drive a crown vic? I haven't.


RE: Transit or Colt?
By semo on 4/16/2008 4:20:28 PM , Rating: 2
maybe because they suck.

n.b. i mean the crown vics, not the civilians.


RE: Transit or Colt?
By InternetGeek on 4/16/2008 7:09:49 PM , Rating: 5
Some civilians suck for money, if you integrate them both you could have one hell of a taxi service.


RE: Transit or Colt?
By mindless1 on 4/17/2008 1:35:03 PM , Rating: 2
To many older people they don't suck at all, the differences you would claim are important just don't matter.

Let's look at what is better than average about them:

Low RPM engine lasts quite a while for an american car.

Only minor changes over time so there is great parts availability.

Old framed design can tow more.

Mushy suspension for people who want one.

The important thing to remember is there are so many different cars that sell because there are so many different buyer preferences. I wouldn't want a Crown Vic, nor do you, but likewise the cars we like someone else would dislike.

Mainly, if you're not going to qualify your opinion you might as well not bother giving it. If you only ask enough people, you will find that almost everything in this world "sucks" to somebody or other.


RE: Transit or Colt?
By mindless1 on 4/17/2008 1:28:59 PM , Rating: 2
1) Taxis need to look like Taxis since those who travel are likely to need one.

2) Limos look like crap.

3) Taxis are workshorse vehicles that have to perform all day and night which makes anything else pale in comparison except for similar roles a Crown Vic plays like Police car.

4) Plenty of civilians drive one, usually older people. I'm not saying it's better or worse than cars more popular, though having the full frame does make it one of the better cars for towing small trailors.


RE: Transit or Colt?
By WayneG on 4/17/2008 6:21:48 PM , Rating: 2
Not a transit I'm afraid:
http://www.newfordtransit.co.uk/vans.jpg
I've never seen anything like it...


Healing paint
By Screwballl on 4/16/2008 2:32:51 PM , Rating: 2
The first thing I can think of is self healing paint. Got your car keyed? The paint heals itself.
Or an alternative, with a small charge, the color of the paint can be changed on a whim. Blue today, red tomorrow, yellow the next, two tone blue and silver next week. Of course this will be when vehicles have a electronic identifier that appears when the cop "pings" the vehicle so that if something illegal happens they can find the vehicle regardless of what color or type it is.
Got a small dent in the side of the car? The metal (or particles) realign themselves to pop the dent or crack out.
How about high speed reactive particles that strengthen the entire body within nanoseconds of impact to lessen the damage.
Parts of the engine wearing out? The metal realigns itself to maintain top performance including the seals and piston rings and so on. Million miles vehicles will become the norm rather than the exception.
How about a self charging battery? When the voltage drops below a certain point it activates charging particles to recharge the battery and shuts off after it reaches 12V (or 6V or 24V depending on the vehicle).

So many possibilities... of course much of this will not happen as the automotive industry rely on new car sales and accidents to maintain their profit margins...




RE: Healing paint
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 4/16/2008 2:35:24 PM , Rating: 2
The Infiniti EX35 already has self-healing paint. And Nissan is also working on color-changing paint:

http://www.dailytech.com/Nissan+Develops+Color+Cha...


RE: Healing paint
By Screwballl on 4/16/2008 8:06:34 PM , Rating: 2
cool I had not heard of that before... thanks for the link!


Weasel Words
By murphyslabrat on 4/16/2008 4:33:28 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
"Many thought our aluminum engine technology was mature and fully optimized,"

Golly, that is a factual statement.




expensive?
By teohhanhui on 4/18/2008 8:09:22 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
The reduction in weight, however, will not come at the expensive of vehicle safety according to Ford.


expensive -> expense?




New Ford marketing angle?
By Davelo on 4/17/2008 11:12:18 AM , Rating: 1
Try to dazzle prospective buyers with gadgets and techie sounding stuff like nanoparticles. Try to downplay poor engineering, gas mileage and styling.




Market share
By nafhan on 4/16/08, Rating: -1
RE: Market share
By VahnTitrio on 4/16/2008 1:35:46 PM , Rating: 5
It is a tangible goal though. Feel free to knock me but I just bought an 08 Fusion. Meets my needs well, but there's no way it can compete with my sister's Aveo in terms of fuel economy. My Fusion weighs in at a hefty 3300 lbs. If they were able to cut it to say 2500 lbs, you could get by with a smaller engine and really boost the fuel economy. No longer will people have to sacrifice leg room for a few bucks at the pump.


RE: Market share
By nafhan on 4/16/2008 2:02:38 PM , Rating: 2
Totally agree with you. Mainly I was just rolling my eyes at the use of the word "nano".


RE: Market share
By Pottervilla on 4/16/2008 2:17:38 PM , Rating: 2
This guy doesn't even own hybrid, but really still gets great fuel economy:

http://www.rd.com/special-reports/the-environment/...

quote:
By the time Wayne finishes, it's after 5 p.m. With his head sticking out the window (his breath fogged the windshield, and he won't use the defroster), he honks to get a judge's attention. His fuel-consumption display reads 150 mpg–the highest possible. Then the car's owner switches the display to show liters per 100 kilometers (a higher limit). The reading: 180.91 mpg.


RE: Market share
By FITCamaro on 4/16/2008 3:00:05 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah well he can coast around all he wants. I take my car out of gear a lot too to coast up to red lights and what not but I'm sorry, I'm not turning off the motor. That can be dangerous.


RE: Market share
By AlphaVirus on 4/16/2008 3:55:12 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
as the vehicle rolls forward really slowly–I notice all four windows are closed and the air-conditioning is off.

That is enough to me to say "nuh-uh!". There is no way in Houston-hell weather you can pull this off, even in the winter. Not only is the heat high, it becomes very stuffy and unless you drive naked you better at least crack the window.
quote:
I'm thinking he drives like a 90-year-old in a mobile sweat lodge.

That pretty much sums up the people I can not stand.
quote:
Wayne starts it by releasing the emergency brake and shifting into neutral before jumping out and pushing the 3,300-pound vehicle down his sloping driveway with the engine off. He jumps in and, without braking, turns right, swerves around a dead skunk, then takes a left turn–again, no brakes–to a stop sign. Ahead, the light is red. "This is a long light," he says. "I'm screwed. We have to throw it away."

Thats pretty scary man, I would not want to be in the car with this man no matter how eco-friendly he is being.

Do newer cars even let you do this, turn off the car whil driving? Hell, they wont even let you shift gears without the car being on.


RE: Market share
By Alexstarfire on 4/17/2008 7:48:08 AM , Rating: 1
What cars are you talking about? I guess it depends on how you define "on." I define it as starting the engine. In which case, it is possible to change gears without the car being on. Also, I'm pretty sure you can turn any car off while driving. I'm not saying it's a good idea, which is why most people don't do it to save gas, and really is the reason why we have hybrids.

About heat.... I guess that depends on the person. I know I can tolerate a lot more heat than any of my friends. Probably due to the fact that my computer usually heats up my room to over 80F while I'm in pants and a long sleeve shirt. I usually don't even sweat when that happens though. Actually, heat almost never makes me sweat, no matter how hot it gets. Exercising always makes me sweat though.


RE: Market share
By FITCamaro on 4/17/2008 9:51:39 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Hell, they wont even let you shift gears without the car being on.


What car do you drive? I can shift gears just fine with the car on or off. I can't imagine a manual that doesn't let you do that. Now automatics won't shift typically if the key isn't in the ignition and turned to have the power on. But you don't shift gears in an automatic either (manumatics are still automatics that let you just tell it when to shift but is controlled electronically).


RE: Market share
By AlphaVirus on 4/22/2008 5:05:01 PM , Rating: 2
Well I drive, year 2005, an automatic and it wont let me switch gears unless the key is in the ignition and turned to the on position. It does not have to be cranked on just in the on position.

If the car is in the off position with the key in or out, the gears will not shift at all, they completely lock.


RE: Market share
By nugundam93 on 4/17/2008 5:50:45 PM , Rating: 2
the guy's driving is definitely scary. heck, even scarier than driving in places like the philippines.


RE: Market share
By LatinMessiah on 4/18/2008 6:04:31 PM , Rating: 2
...or driving in Mexico City.


RE: Market share
By FredEx on 4/20/2008 4:09:20 AM , Rating: 2
Really! I was down there on business once. A friend, Avalos, picked me up in the Zona Rosa area to take me to our Mexico City company site and there were 8 lanes painted, 4 going each direction, but there at times was 16 lanes of cars. There had to be an inch between us and the car on my side of the car. Pretty much smaller cars. Avalos said he never drove his good car in the city.


RE: Market share
By Runiteshark on 4/17/2008 11:46:29 AM , Rating: 1
If I saw a douchebag like that on the road, one of several things would happen:

A. I'm in my car (Acura RSX Type-S) or a friends car
I'll get up his ass, or get in front of him and brake check him and make him lose mpg. I'll intentionally make him merge where he doesn't want to go.

B. I'm in my car
I'll VTEC all around him just to waste the gas he isn't using, just to show him that he is a damn idiot.

C. I'm in my 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage 2dr hatchback (that I use to haul parts around)
I'll ram that son of a bitch.

Why such hate? Why such anger? Why such disdain for my fellow man? I've seen enough wrecks because idiots are on their phones, or doing their hair, or the millions of other stupid people do while driving 70mph in near gridlock conditions that can change any second. I see people roll into eachother all the time because of stupidity, and lack of paying attention. I've even had some nice mexican girl hit my car because she was TEXT messaging on her phone while taking an exit ramp onto the interstate. Imagine now, if you are in traffic and you have some asshole going 25 in their Corolla just to save gas. Imagine how many people will move into the other lane (and possibly hit the cars in that lane) because those idiots are driving on the shoulder.

What I said I would do might seem dumb, or a waste, but I can't really see any way else to demonstrate my anger for their intense stupidity, not only in endangering others, but mainly just for the sake to save a couple bucks on gas.

You want gas milage? Get a Chevy Cobalt, Civic, Prius, tC, Golf, Corolla, whatever, but don't drive like a total dick.


RE: Market share
By mindless1 on 4/17/2008 1:46:30 PM , Rating: 2
Great idea, thinking that trying to teach someone a lesson like that would do anything except cause more problems in very dangerous ways. While Mr. Gas Mizer was being very selfish he isn't directly trying to cause either a traffic accident or inciting road rage.

Hopefully you were kidding, otherwise you should be locked up before your judgemental side gets someone hurt. The road is not the place to act out in any way against anyone. If you insist on causing problems then wait till you're both parked somewhere. Remember that you would not effect any change in that guy, you would at most cause one incident that makes either or both of you worse off, then he'd continue to do the same thing again next time because he has nothing better to do than play his silly gas mizer game.


RE: Market share
By Alexstarfire on 4/17/2008 5:35:15 PM , Rating: 2
Silly to you, but to him, and me, it's silly how everyone else drives. I'm not anywhere near as good as Wayne, cause I could never drive THAT slow, but so many people just waste gas. While better FE cars are needed, we could easily improve the country's MPG by 10% or more if people would simply learn how to drive properly. Course, if we all drove like Wayne then the MPG would increase by 50%, but that's not likely t ever happen.


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