Welcome to Ford’s Drivability Test Facility located somewhere in Detroit. Here they don’t just test parts like steering racks and steering gearboxes, they test the car as a whole against the most severe driving conditions. This building is what they call “explosion-proof” and they can create the harsh rain, snow and wind of a blizzard, as well as temperatures hotter than you could bear.
It’s amazing the lengths they go to that ensure that their cars don’t let you down. During the test shown in these photos, Ford technicians were testing “snow ingestion” on the newly re-designed 2013 Ford Escape. Here, they pushed snow into the grill of the car and tested its charging system, engine cooling, cabin heating, as well as the effects of the snow buildup. From the comfort of the warm room next door, the technicians are able to shift the transmission, slam on the brakes, and accelerate the Escape through the man-made wind tunnel. With the flick of a switch they can create rain which instantly freezes into snow and pours down on the vehicle.
This is just one of many “torture tests” Ford conducts on their vehicles before they hit the streets. Ford is obviously not the only manufacturer that performs these tests, but from the glimpse they give it looks like a pretty cool job. Having driven the same car through both the winter blizzards of the Northeast and the dead heat of Las Vegas' August desert, it’s obviously important that every car is able to handle both extremes of driving conditions. How does your car handle?
0 comments:
Post a Comment