Magna International in association with the Ford Motor Company has unveiled the new multi-material lightweight vehicle (MMLV) concept, which reduces the vehicle weight.
Developed under a research and development project led by Magna and funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), the MMLV is said to use advanced material that reduces wight of the vehicle by about 25% compared to the current materials.
The project involves development and selected validation testing of prototype vehicle built using the new aluminum-intensive passenger vehicle design architecture for facilitating the extensive use of advanced lightweight and high-strength materials.
Magna chief technical officer Swamy Kotagiri said Government mandated fuel economy and crash standards are big topics in the automotive industry, and the company plays a significant role partnering with customers to achieve fuel efficiency goals through lightweight vehicle structures that meet such safety standards.
"Through early collaborative involvement, like with the MMLV project, we are better positioned to assist our customers in optimizing their products and meeting the challenges of future mobility," Kotagiri added.
Ford Global Materials and Manufacturing Research technical leader Matt Zaluzec said the company's goal was to investigate how to design and build a mixed-materials, lightweight vehicle that could potentially be produced in high volume.
"The research vehicle gives us the platform to continue to explore the right mix of materials and applications for future vehicles," Zaluzec added.
The MMLV concept is based on the production version of a 2013 Ford Fusion. It reduces weight of the vehicle, while making the weight of a C/D segment family sedan equal to that of a subcompact B-car, without compromising performance or occupant safety.
