Recycled bottles and two EcoBoost’s find their way into the 2013 Ford Escape.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Oct. 21, 2011
The 2013 Ford Escape, European Kuga or Vertrek concept … The spy shots found online are very similar but closer to the actual.
The all-new 2013 Ford Escape features three fuel-efficient I4’s to choose from including a first for the US marketplace, a direct injected and turbo charged 1.6L EcoBoost rumored to offer 180 HP in the all-new Escape. In addition, the new 2.0L EcoBoost we drove in the Ford Edge to an absolutely ridiculous FE number earlier this month will also be offered. According to Ford, the 1.6L EcoBoost is expected to provide more fuel economy than the current Escape Hybrid’s 31 mpg highway rating!
So we know how hot a Ford EcoBoost can be is if geared properly as the monster powerful 3.5L allowed well over 32 mpg while crossing the country in the fully loaded
2011 Ford F150 EcoBoost Fuel Economy Adventure Challenge. The 1.6L in a much lighter weight platform is sure to provide much more if Ford truck guys were allowed to work their magic
Enough about the (2) EcoBoost engines in the upcoming Escape, what about the rest of the all-new Escapes environmental credentials?
Empty plastic bottles are found everywhere including work, home, our cars, trash cans around the world. Unfortunately they are also found scattered to the wind where they do not belong but recycling has done much to reduce that eyesore from our nation’s parks and roadways.
Ford released one of those PR’s that brings a smile to my face. That being 25 20-ounce plastic bottles will be used to make the carpeting in every 2013 Ford Escape. It’s the first time Ford has used this type of carpeting in an SUV.
Not only is it great to find a reuse application for all that plastic, since it’s a Ford, the material are tested “Ford Tough”!
Laura Sinclair, Materials engineer for Ford:
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“All materials – green or not – have to pass extensive durability tests. We look for “chalking” during these tests – the fibers degrade and mash themselves in to form a white residue as they break apart. Chalking, or dusting, is the precursor to a hole forming in the carpet.”
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The testing is done on a device called a Taber 5150, which looks similar to a record player. A carpet sample about the size of a DVD is placed in the middle and spins while two weights rub the sample to simulate accelerated wear.
Ford runs the tests on a multitude of materials almost daily and can
simulate five or more years of service in 10 to 15 minutes!
Part of the recipe to improve carpet toughness and longevity involves adding more plastic bottles to the fibrous mix.
According to Sinclair, the polyester fibers created from pop bottles make up a nonwoven carpet material. More fibers formed one atop another helps reduce wear.
And how this got through the layers of Editors in Ford’s PR war room got me but I liked it.
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So adding more recycled bottles can help the carpet not wear as quickly and help avoid the Fred Flintstone effect of your feet going through the bottom of your vehicle.
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The carpet is supplied by Autoneum and produced at its plant in Bloomsburg, Pa.
We will have a lot more on the upcoming 2013 Ford Escape and its carpet made from recycled bottles live from the LA Auto Show Press Event on Nov. 16.
Hybrid Mode
