January 8, 2006 – The Ford F-250 Super Chief concept uses what the
company calls "Tri-Flex fueling", enabling the supercharged V-10 to run
for 500 miles between fill-ups on hydrogen, E85 ethanol or gasoline. The
tri-fuel flexibility is one possible innovation by Ford to help pave
the way for hydrogen vehicles, as the nation's ethanol and hydrogen
fueling infrastructure continues to develop. The concept truck and its
name are inspired by the bold, American Super Chief trains of the
nation's past. Super Chief is Ford's most advanced, well-appointed
pickup ever – designed to build on the standard for interior excellence
established by the new F-150.
While the F-250 Super Chief has plenty of innovative tricks under its hood, it embraces several of Ford Motor Company's advanced safety technologies to help ensure that occupants' travels are not only comfortable, but also safe.
Safety technology such as BeltMinder and BlockerBeam are among the innovative features on the F-250 Super Chief. BlockerBeam provides enhanced frontal crash compatibility with cars on the road, and Ford's patented BeltMinder technology will alert the driver when occupants are not buckled up.
BeltMinder goes further than the federally required safety belt reminder chiming system. In Ford vehicles, the driver or front passenger who remains unbuckled is regularly reminded to buckle up.
The system chimes and flashes a warning lamp for six seconds every 30 seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first. The second-row BeltMinder technology will now be able to alert the driver when second-row passengers have not buckled their safety belts.
In addition, Ford's unique frontal crash enhanced underride protection system – called BlockerBeam – could make the F-250 Super Chief more compatible with cars. The system helps F-250 Super Chief and a car better share energy during a crash.
During a frontal collision with a car, the BlockerBea is designed to make contact with the frame rails of a car in an effort to prevent the car from sliding beneath the higher-riding vehicle. Upon impact, the L-shaped brackets bend, helping to disperse crash energy. This reduces the amount of intrusion into the passenger compartment of the car and further reduces the risk of serious injury to the car's occupants. Bold, American Exterior Design
The Ford F-250 Super Chief concept projects the next level of rugged elegance for full-size pickups, further stretching the world-famous F-Series lineup past the F-250 Super Crew and F-250 King Ranch.
"Ford has been the truck leader for so long, no one can remember it being any other way," says J Mays, group vice president, Design, and chief creative officer. "The F-250 Super Chief boldly restates our leadership with a quintessentially American truck."
The F-250 Super Chief's locomotive-inspired front-end appearance sets the tone, complemented by its bold, imposing grille.
The pattern of the headlamps echoes the motif of the interior's coffered ceiling, with five-element/four-emitter LEDs behind the optics. Below the headlamps, sturdy tow hooks are integrated into the fog lamps for a multifunctional look.
Even more pronounced from the profile is the truck's substantial cabin. Based on an F-250 Super Duty with an 8-foot-long bed, F-250 Super Chief designers reallocated 2 feet of bed space for the passenger compartment, which is accessible through center-opening doors.
The F-250 Super Chief's rear doors can be opened independently of its front doors. An electronic release first extends the rear three-pivot hinges out and slides them back slightly to open the rear doors; an electronic motor pulls them closed.
Expressive details add beauty as well as functionality. The sculpted cowling serves as an air intake for the V-10 engine, while pronounced vents exhaust heat from the engine bay. Pronounced flares house the truck's 24-inch wheels, and Goodyear tires firmly plant the truck on the ground.
In the rear, the tailgate hinges on both sides for greater utility. Inside the bed, a wood-planked bed floor is ribbed with raised metal rub strips for easy cargo loading. In addition, there's an under-bed storage tray, which can be accessed even when the cargo bed is full.
No comments:
Post a Comment