But not as we know them. Ford’s going to start injecting microscopic air bubbles into the plastic parts, reducing weight and improving performance while saving fuel. Sounds crazy, but this is no April fool.
The technology is called MuCell, and involves injecting gas into plastic during the moulding process. The result looks under the microscope like an Aero chocolate bar, with tiny air bubbles creating a honeycomb structure. Ford says this makes the car 20% lighter, as it uses less plastic, helping improve fuel efficiency and acceleration. So not only will your car be nippier, it’ll also cost less to get from A to B. Sounds like good news to us.
It also mean cars are quicker to make, with 33% more parts per hour than the conventional manufacturing process, reducing energy consumption, emissions and the cost, so don’t expect a price hike anytime soon. Ford claims there’s no loss in strength using the MuCell technology.
This is no mere concept either. MuCell will be rolled out in the next few years, on some of the company’s most popular models, such as the Focus, C-Max, S-Max, Mondeo and Galaxy. Look out for further developments as they happen.
Out TBC | £TBC | Ford
Tags: bubble car, focus, ford, mondeo, mucell