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Everybody knows that the 2015
Ford F-150 light-duty pickup is
an aluminum-intensive vehicle.
The aluminum is used, along with
considerably more high-strength
steel in the truck's frame (from
23% in the current generation to
77% in the 2015), in order to make
the vehicle lighter. According to
Ford engineers, the vehicle is
approximately 700 lb. lighter
thanks to the use, in large part, of
the materials (they attribute 60 lb.
of the weight save to the steel in
the frame; presumably the alumi-
num box and body panels account
for the majority of the save).
The rationale for reducing the
weight of the pickup is predicated,
in part, on the need to improve
fuel efciency. Simply stated, the
less mass there is to move, the less
energy is needed to move it. What's
more, there is what is called a
"virtuous cycle" that gets set up
when designing and engineering
something like this. That is,
because the vehicle is lighter, there
is a fairly straight-forward concomi-
tant reduction in the size and
weight of other things, ranging
from the engine to the brakes.
But while Ford is working toward
an energy-save with the aluminum
and high-strength steel, there are
other things that it is doing from
an energy-saving and "greener"
material utilization.
For example, it will be the frst
light truck to ofer LED headlamps.
Compared to halogen headlamps,
the LEDs use 63% less energy. And
the lens for the lamp was carefully
engineered not only for illumina-
tion, but for strength. In terms
of the illumination, each lens is
created with 16 precision optical
surfaces and 80 facets so as to
spread the light evenly. As a result,
only one LED is required per lamp.
As for the strength, Ford lighting
expert John Teodecki literally
stood on one of the 11-lb. lamp
assemblies and said, "We fre stones
at this headlamp, expose it to
extreme sun, soak it in saltwater,
shoot rocks, rock salt and ice—
t Outside and in, over and under, the
2015 Ford F-150 is engineered with
lightweight and alternative materials.
0714ADP FEATURE Cover Story Ford -- Digital Version.indd 25 6/17/2014 1:08:53 PM