Future Ford Explorers, Expeditions Could Wear All-Aluminium Bodies

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

As previously reported by TTAC earlier this year, future Ford Explorers and Expeditions could one day wear aluminium bodies.

Edmunds reports the SUVs could easily go aluminium should Ford decided to do so based on the higher base prices of both vehicles being able to sustain the higher cost of the metal. The Explorer and Expedition could see improved fuel economy from the several hundreds of pounds lost as a result.

Alongside aluminium, Ford also aims to improve the engines, transmissions and aerodynamics in their lineup as the automaker seeks to reduce CO2 emissions annually by 4 percent to meet ever-stringent global standards.

The earliest an all-aluminium Explorer or Expedition could come is 2018, as the U.S. metals industry is stepping up aluminium production in anticipation of more Ford products extensively using the lightweight metal.

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Apr 10, 2014

    What a lovely porch on that house.

  • Kyree Kyree on Apr 10, 2014

    Works for me. If it's good enough for the F-150, it's good enough for the car-based vehicles. However, those vehicles probably don't have profit-margins that are as large as those of the F-150, and so Ford will need to make the technology cheaper.

    • Bball40dtw Bball40dtw on Apr 10, 2014

      The Expedition/Navigator has F150 level profit margins. Probably higher actually. The Explorer makes a healthy profit, but nowhere near F150 levels.

  • Superdessucke Superdessucke on Apr 10, 2014

    I'm no industry guy like a lot of you but it would seem to me that if we had fewer pig-assed vehicles like this, we wouldn't need to be talking about using aluminum to, I assume, drop their pork factor so they can meet upcoming fuel efficiency standards. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise though. Hopefully the inevitable design and construction flaws coupled with higher prices will bring the SUV/CUV craze to an end.

    • See 8 previous
    • Rochambeau Rochambeau on Apr 11, 2014

      @wmba I believe the cylinders in the Vega engine--though not lined--were imbedded with silicon/silicone(?) just not to the degree needed. The patented process was considered a breakthrough and adopted by Porsche--to much better effect...

  • Z71_Silvy Z71_Silvy on Apr 10, 2014

    Let the peeling paint and corrosion begin!!

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