DETROIT -- Ford scientists are embracing the burgeoning field of nanotechnology in developing paints, plastics, light metals and catalysts that allow the company to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel economy without sacrificing quality.
Ford has called out vehicle weight reduction as a key part of its strategy to improve fuel economy by 40 percent by 2020. The goal is to reduce vehicle weight from 250 to 750 pounds, depending on the model, between 2012 and 2020 without compromising safety.
Ford's European research lab in Aachen, Germany, is developing a thermally sprayed nanocoating that could replace the ...