Ford has revealed a new lightweight concept version of the Mondeo, which is over 300kg lighter than the standard car.
The firm says that the use of lightweight materials has allowed it to reduce the mass of the 2013 Mondeo, which clocks in at 1554kg in standard form, by almost 25 per cent – meaning it now weighs around the same as a Fiesta.
Among the benefits of the reduced weight are improved acceleration times, better load capacity and improved fuel economy over the 31.4mpg offered by today's car.
Ford says the lightweight concept uses many of the materials found in today's mobile devices, including chemically-toughened glass and lightweight plastics. Other materials featured on the concept include magnesium and carbonfibre.
The research concept, created in conjunction with the US Department of Energy, aims to show the long-term potential of weight-saving in vehicles. It's likely that many of the materials used on the concept will find their way into Ford's production cars in the future. Such technology will be needed in order to help pass increasingly strict emissions regulations.
Head of Ford product development Raj Nair said: "Consumers today want better fuel efficiency, but they also want more technology and features in the car, which usually adds weight to the vehicle.
“A focus on light-weighting will be fundamental to our industry for years to come, and we are investigating many advanced materials applications as possible solutions for weight reduction in our vehicles.”
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