Lightweighting the iconic Ford Transit

With over 30kgs saved from every production vehicle in this area alone, the next Ford Transit will be a lighter, more fuel-efficient van with lower emissions.

The bestselling van of all-time, Ford’s iconic Transit, has been put on a diet by an award-winning project involving the HVM Catapult’s NCC team. Alongside Gestamp and the University of Nottingham, the NCC helped Ford to shed an impressive 40% of the weight from crucial production parts in the Transit’s suspension system whilst maintaining an affordable price point. With over 30kgs saved from every production vehicle in this area alone, the next Ford Transit will be a lighter, more fuel-efficient van with lower emissions.

The approach is not limited to the Transit alone. The Composite Hybrid Automotive Suspension System Innovative Structures (CHASSIS) project was developed to be a multi-material solution to provide affordable weight savings for mass production of any vehicle. Alongside other innovations, lightweighting is key to achieving net zero carbon emissions in transport.

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