Ford's Flexible Fixer
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SmartSmart durabilitydurability The endurance test programme for the new forfour rCuberCube An advanced rapid prototyping tool for future automotive electronics InterviewsInterviews David Thursfield, executive vice president, Ford International Operations Alexander Koesling, strategic project leader, smart forfour Spring 2004 contents 6 Spring 2004 8 14 19 NEWS FEATURES QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Industry update 4 Tested to the limits 8 David W Thursfield 6 Honda pioneers torque vectoring; Ford boss 4,000,000 km a year are clocked up by Ford’s British-born head of international supports hybrid incentives; EPA’s novel Ricardo teams in Stuttgart in their durability operations and global purchasing has been hydraulic hybrid improves large SUV testing for smart and other marques. Tony instrumental in improving the group’s economy; Land Rover’s one-touch vehicle Lewin reports on the highly successful test manufacturing efficiency and cutting costs. programming; switchable two-four stroke programme for the new smart forfour Hugh Hunston caught up with him at the engine promises big benefits Detroit Auto show Diesel calibration for the US 14 On-board diagnostics is a key element in Alexander Koesling 12 News from Ricardo 24 obtaining diesel certification in North Strategic programme manager for the new Outgoing chairman welcomes his America. Anthony Smith details Ricardo’s smart forfour, Koesling saw the co-operative successor; new chemistry lab opens; work in this complicated area and reports project with Mitsubishi go from styling freeze HyTrans programme promises important on the US entrepreneur so impressed with to Job One in a record 33 months. Tony energy savings in stop-start delivery London’s taxis that he asked Ricardo to help Lewin asks how it was done operation adapt them for sale in his home market rCube 19 The pioneering rCube development tool from Ricardo will help automakers with rapid prototyping of new network-based vehicle control architectures, says Anthony Smith Head office: Ricardo plc, Bridge Works, Ricardo contacts and locations: www.ricardo.com/contacts Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex RQ subscriptions: www.ricardo.com/rq BN43 5FG, United Kingdom Sales enquiries: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1273 455611 Conceived and produced for Ricardo by TwoTone Media Ltd TwoTone Media Ltd contacts: Editor: Tony Lewin Anthony Smith [email protected] Contributors: Lucienne Brown, Hugh Hunston, Louis Tony Lewin [email protected] Bailoni, Anthony Smith Spring 2004 Ricardo Quarterly Review 3 G in brief Honda’s novel Electronics advance Demand for automotive semiconductors among European carmakers will rise by torque control 10 per cent per year to 2010, according to Frost and Sullivan, with today’s 25 per cent Super handling all-wheel drive is rear wheel during cornering, for electronic content in vehicles the description given by Honda instance, the vehicle is given an set to rise to 40 per cent in the to its new drive system, the first inward yaw moment and its same period. mainstream application to make responsiveness, claims use of torque vectoring Honda, is significantly Steel prices impact technology. improved. The cost per tonne of steel has Presented on the new Legend Likewise, stability under Rear differential can risen by 65 per cent in the first luxury sedan (Acura RL in the deceleration whilst vary lateral as well as quarter of 2004, according to US), the system breaks new cornering also benefits as longitudinal torque split: the Financial Times, and copper ground by regulating torque torque to the outboard rear electromagnetic clutches and platinum are at multi-year independently to all four wheels wheel can be freely varied in (top) give continuous control highs. Credit Suisse First to aid handling, stability and order to provide the desired yaw Boston, quoted in the FT, roadholding. The SH-AWD moment. estimates that a 20 per cent operates by monitoring driving Front-rear torque distribution cornering than the front wheel, rise in steel prices could reduce conditions and driver input and in straightline driving is and therefore requires the operating margins of calculating the optimum torque determined by the load on the temporarily higher gearing during European volume carmakers by distribution: the rear differential vehicle: under hard acceleration such turns. between 0.6 and 1.0 per cent. acts on this information to vary when traction is important, less Multiplate electromagnetic front-rear torque distribution energy is fed to the front wheels; clutches, another world first, are Adhesives beat welding between the ratios of 30:70 during steady-speed cruising the responsible for providing the Epoxy chemicals are easier to and 70:30, and that across the front wheels take a greater share precise control required to feed use and outperform welds in rear wheels between the ratios of the torque, promoting stability. exactly the right amount of important respects, claimed of 100:0 and 0:100. A further function, also torque to each wheel; each supplier Henkel at the SAE In this way the vehicle is able claimed as a world first, is what clutch is continuously monitored World Congress in Detroit. The to use its engine torque not just Honda describes as an by built-in search coils to ensure reason for the lack of for propulsion but also to acceleration device in the rear accurate, continuously variable acceptance of bonding enhance cornering and differential. The thinking here is torque regulation. techniques in the auto industry, manouevrability. By applying 100 that the outboard rear wheel The new Legend goes on sale said Henkel, was that so many per cent torque to the outboard tracks a wider radius arc during in the autumn of 2004. engineers in the business have a background in metals and believe that metal is stronger Programmed chassis systems debut and more reliable. Big 3 quality advance on 2005 Land Rover Discovery Detroit’s Big Three automakers have overtaken the Europeans in The New York Auto Show in April programmes the entire vehicle automatically chooses the vehicle quality but still trail was the occasion chosen by Land setup to suit the prevailing optimum combination of engine Japanese and Korean brands, Rover to launch its third-generation conditions. Land Rover’s Terrain mapping, throttle response, air according to the US Consumer Discovery, to be known as LR3 in Response control, operated suspension ride height and Reports. Nevertheless, said the what is likely to be its largest through a single knob just behind firmness, differential settings, magazine, the average US market, North America. the gearshift lever, gives the driver traction control, hill descent vehicle still has 50 per cent more The engineering of the medium- a choice of six different settings -- control, ABS and electronic problems than Asian models. large luxury SUV is distinctive for ranging from high speed driving to brakeforce distribution. The Ford Focus was singled out several reasons, notably the negotiating deep ruts or large “Terrain Response technology for having made a major standardisation of a platform with rocks off road. The system makes the driver’s task simpler, not advance after a shaky start, now all-independent suspension, using more complicated,” said Land qualifying as a top pick. cross-linked, self levelling air Rover managing director Matthew springs on all but the entry-level Taylor. “You select the terrain. The VW test markets diesel versions. A further break with car then helps you conquer it.” Volkswagen will introduce its tradition is the unitary construction When it goes on sale in the Passat turbodiesel into the US, of the body-chassis unit, though a autumn of this year the new joining the Golf, Jetta and reinforcing structure, labelled Discovery/LR3 will be one of the Beetle as the only diesel cars Integrated Body Frame by Land first vehicles to feature the 2.7-litre available in North America. Rover, still remains. V6 turbodiesel engine jointly Eighty per cent of Passats sold New to the off-road vehicle sector Terrain Response: one-touch developed by the Ford group and in Europe are diesel powered. is a sophisticated system which control for vehicle setup PSA Peugeot Citroën. 4 INDUSTRY NEWS Ricardo Quarterly Review Spring 2004 Ford CEO backs incentives for hybrids Higher fuel taxes linked to Bill Ford: higher fuel taxes incentives promoting energy- will promote energy efficiency The task of RQ is to efficient vehicles could be the way highlight the latest forward for the United States, average of $4000 more than thinking in automotive according to Bill Ford, chairman their conventional counterparts. engineering and and chief executive of Ford. The Ford Motor Company is technology worldwide – Speaking at the New York banking heavily on hybrid both within Ricardo and Auto Show in April, Mr Ford technology: it is currently among other leading acknowledged that taxation of readying a gasoline-electric companies. By gasoline was politically version of its Escape light SUV, presenting an up to unpopular, but stated that it was and will add hybrid derivatives to date mix of news, unreasonable to expect that the many of its future model ranges. profiles and interviews really low fuel prices the US has Ford hopes to sell 20,000 hybrid with top business been enjoying for many years Escapes in its first year, and hybrid developed by the US leaders we try to paint will continue. Pressed by insists hybrids have mass market Environmental Protection an interesting and reporters, Mr Ford said he would potential. Agency. Based on a large exciting picture of R&D support a gasoline tax of 50 In a separate development Expedition SUV, the EPA design activity at a world-class cents a gallon, provided it was Ford had earlier announced that replaces the large gasoline automotive engineering linked to tax breaks which would it would make use of Toyota engine with a diesel and has a services provider.