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Report: UPS testing plastic trucks that cut weight by 1,000 pounds [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Videos

plastic UPS truck

UPS tests composite delivery truck – Click above to watch the video after the jump

UPS is known for its amazing level of efficiency, and that reputation could soon extend to fuel savings thanks to a prototype dubbed CV-23. The delivery company has ordered five of these prototypes to be tested through the end of 2011, but this is no ordinary next-generation package hauler.

The CV-23 weighs about a thousand pounds less than the typical UPS truck, thanks to the fact that it is made with composite materials instead of metal. The lightweight materials could help UPS deliver up to 40 percent better fuel economy than the current UPS fleet truck. Those kinds of fuel economy gains can pay huge dividends in rural areas where trucks are required to drive large distances. And since the body panels are plastic, bumpers, panels and other parts can be replaced easily.

Hit the jump to watch video of the CV-23 as it is tested by UPS management. If the company is sufficiently impressed, the guys and gals in brown could order more trucks, potentially saving 84 million gallons of fuel per year. We’re guessing drivers will want to see some crash test data before seeing what brown plastic can do for them, but otherwise, this seems like a pretty good idea.

Continue reading UPS testing plastic trucks that cut weight by 1,000 pounds [w/video]

UPS testing plastic trucks that cut weight by 1,000 pounds [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford targeting up to 700-pound weight loss across lineup

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Ford

2011 Ford Super Duty

With stricter 2012-2016 fuel economy standards quickly creeping up on automakers, research and development departments industry-wide are looking for innovative technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. But while hybrids and electric vehicles provide the largest wow factor, most powertrains in the near term will be of the internal combustion variety, so Ford is looking to shed pounds as well.

TheDetroitBureau.com reports that Ford is looking to trim between 250 and 700 pounds from each of its vehicles by 2017 or 2018. That’s an impressive total given the fact that added safety measures and more technology have contributed to the bloated scale-breakers we have today, and an aluminum hood or high strength steel can only make up some of that distance. Engineering Chief Derrick Kuzak tells TDB that “weight reduction starts with new platforms.” That means aluminum and carbon fiber chassis components and lighter frames.

With the cost of aluminum far exceeding that of steel, using the lightweight material could be a costly endeavor. Kuzak believes the answer could be carbon fiber, but to use the strong, light material, Ford must “improve manufacturability and reduce costs.”

Cutting several hundred pounds from a vehicle will no-doubt cut fuel consumption and substantially improve performance, and the efficiency gains can be two-fold. Kuzak points out that lighter vehicles can be fitted with smaller, more efficient engines, giving the vehicles a second bump in fuel economy. Lighter vehicles could also lead to improved EVs as well, as less battery power would be needed to propel a vehicle, which leads to more miles per charge.

We’re all for lighter and more efficient vehicles, and we’re wondering whether it’s too early to put in an order for a 2,600-pound Mustang GT. Okay, so the largest weight loss is likely for the trucks and SUVs, but we can dream, right?

[Source: TheDetroitBureau.com]

Report: Ford targeting up to 700-pound weight loss across lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford looks to save weight with bubble-infused plastics

Filed under: Technology, Ford

Ford MuCell plastic

Just like every other automaker, Ford is looking into making its cars lighter, and thus more eco-friendly. Thanks to a bubble-infused plastic introduced at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology [MIT] called MuCell, Ford says it can step further toward its goal of lightening all its cars by anywhere from 200 to 750 pounds.

MuCell is made by pumping tiny bubbles of nitrogen or carbon into standard injection-molded plastics. Though the bubbly plastic is slightly weaker than the standard stuff, Ford says the difference will be negligible, since its plastic parts are engineered to be 50 to 100 percent stronger than they should ever need to be.

Though the idea is still in development, Ford says it wants to be running MuCell plastics in all its cars by 2020. Though the technology has been around since 1995, it hasn’t made sense for automakers to start buying in until now. With a new focus on green technology in the automotive industry, the move suddenly makes a lot of sense, and Ford will start using the plastic in items like engine covers beginning in the next few years. Check out the official press release after the jump.

[Sources: Ford, FastCodeDesign]

Continue reading Ford looks to save weight with bubble-infused plastics

Ford looks to save weight with bubble-infused plastics originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steel nanotechnology can reduce the weight of our cars

Filed under: Technology, Autoline on Autoblog, Design/Style

Making Stronger Steel As Light As Aluminum

Ford Fiesta body-in-white

The world’s largest steel maker, ArcelorMital, says it has come up with a new kind of steel that the world has never seen before. Thanks to nanotechnology, the company says automakers can now match the weight of aluminum cars, but do it in steel at far lower cost.

It can take 188 pounds out of the body-in-white of a car… but total weight savings could be even bigger.

Specifically, ArcelorMital says it can take 188 pounds out of the body-in-white of a car. The body-in-white, or BIW, refers to the basic structure of a car, including the doors, hood and deck lid. That’s a big number. By taking so much weight out of the structure, other components such as the powertrain, drivetrain, brakes, etc. can be downsized as well. In other words, the total weight savings could be even bigger.

ArcelorMital is already showing this new kind of steel to automakers. It isn’t yet ready to publicly divulge any of the technical aspects of the steel or how it’s using nanotechnology to make it. The company says we’re still two to three years away before we get those kinds of details. And that’s about the time we’ll see this steel show up in production. No word yet on which car company may be the first to use it, but the rumor on the street is that Ford is all over this technology.

John McElroy is host of the TV program “Autoline Detroit” and daily web video “Autoline Daily”. Every week he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.

Continue reading Steel nanotechnology can reduce the weight of our cars

Steel nanotechnology can reduce the weight of our cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R: More power + less weight = more speed

Filed under: Motorcycle

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kawasaki has just officially pulled the wraps off its 2011 ZX-10R literbike, and the specifications are impressive. According to the Japanese company, the 2011 ZX10R will put out 197 horsepower (207 with ram air in full effect) and weigh just 436 pounds. That means it just barely has a better power-to-weight ratio than the previously all-conquering BMW S 1000 RR, which makes 193 horses and weighs about 450 pounds. Sadly, the American version of the bike, while still impressive, is expected to put out roughly 10 fewer ponies… dang the EPA!

Equally as important as those raw figures are the high-tech components and electronic bits and pieces that are intended to keep everything in line when the going gets tough. First on that list are an Ohlins steering damper and Showa’s Big Piston Forks up front. At the aft end, a new horizontally mounted rear shock is said to improve mass-centralization and smooth out damper’s rear action. As with most modern bikes, there are three power modes (Full, Middle and Low) intended to match horsepower requirements with riding condition realities.

On the gee-whiz front, Sport Kawasaki TRaction Control, or S-KTRC, is standard on the $13,799 2011 ZX-10R and promises to make the bike both faster and safer by monitoring both the front and rear ends every five milliseconds and allowing some amount of tire slippage and even power-on wheelies. If that weren’t enough, there will also be an optional Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System (KIBS, seriously, for an extra $1,000) that keeps the tires from locking and also minimizes the rear wheel’s tendency to lift off the pavement.

Now that all the techy bits are covered, take a look at the new Ninja’s styling. Naturally, everything is painted up in Kawasaki’s trademark neon green and black motif, but the overall look is sharper and more aggressive than before. Note the pointy snout with ram-air duct and integrated LED light that matches the new LED-equipped mirror/turn signal assemblies. It’s a pretty slick looking package, we’d say.

See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below and be sure to check out the full press release after the break.

Gallery: 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R

Continue reading 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R: More power + less weight = more speed

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R: More power + less weight = more speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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