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Sandy Munro Checks Out the Passive Safety of the Ford Mustang Mach-E

Sandy Munro had already praised Ford for some of the solutions it gave to the Mustang Mach-E. He also criticized them, such as about its cooling system, which may eventually present leaks. In his latest video about the electric crossover teardown, he analyzed the solutions Ford found for it to go better in crash tests. More specifically, on the SORB (Small Overlap Rigid Barrier) evaluation.
Sandy Munro Checks Out the Passive Safety of the Ford Mustang Mach-E 12 photos
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Ford has adopted an aluminum (more likely) or magnesium structure that will fracture instead of bend in an offset crash. That would help the safety structure absorb more energy and push the survival cell away from the impact area. That may be the difference between saving a life or not.

Munro and Ben Lindamood – another engineer at Munro & Associates – analyzed the front structure and also praised the front-impact beam. It is made of extruded aluminum and is curved on the outside. Another element that helps is the cradle, which has an integrated tusk. Munro was really pleased to see that Ford did not stick with a single material and just applied the one that would help the car have better safety ratings.

Unlike what happens with combustion-engined vehicles, Ford chose to use the wheel and front tire to help absorb energy. That is why it collapses inside the structure. In most cases, automakers want the wheel and tire to detach from the vehicle and spin around the outside. That’s interesting because electric cars are much heavier than ICE competitors due to their battery packs.

When it comes to manufacturing, Munro and Lindamood found very nice solutions in the front fascia and headlights that only demand workers to snap them in place. On the other hand, the engineers also had suggestions that could help Ford save some bucks in the Mach-E production. If you are into these aspects of the automotive industry, make sure you watch the video below to learn a bit.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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