Ford's engineers create the worst road in the world...for a good reason

Last year in the U.K.,  the Royal Automobile Club, the RAC (like our Automobile Association of Malaysia -AAM) responded to more than 25,000 pothole-related breakdowns. According to statistics this was a nearly 25 per cent increase since 2014. Poor condition and lack of maintenance of European roads are said to contribute to at least one third of all accidents every year. 

Recognising the issue, the people at Ford had created a 1.9-kilometre (1.2‑mile) road that consists of near perfect copies of the worst potholes and road hazards on this planet. The reason for this test circuit is to help engineers create more robust chassis systems and develop new innovations to ensure Ford vehicles can better withstand the world’s increasingly choppy roads. 

I think this has benefits. I actually think the new facelifted Ford Focus soaks up the road surfaces pretty well. It must be this crappy test track where Ford did much of the suspension tuning allowing Ford's engineers to perfect the ride and handling as well as durability. Sometimes, going very fast around the Nurburgring is not the way to go when it comes to real world testing you know.

PRESS RELEASE
Bumpy Commute? Try Driving on the World’s Worst Road – a Hellish Mix of Potholes, Cobblestones and Speed Bumps

 Potholes are an increasing problem for drivers who are forced to pay for costly repairs.

Damage is so bad that recovery services report a huge rise in pothole-related call-outs

 Ford test centre in Belgium replicates effects of world’s worst potholes and other extreme

surfaces. Lommel Proving Ground incorporates test tracks covering 80 km, more than

100 extreme surfaces replicated from 25 countries, including 1.9 km of potholes

 Hazards including potholes, granite blocks from Belgium, and French cobbles help Ford

to test and develop innovations that make cars stronger. Ford vehicles in Europe now

benefit from Continuous Control Damping with Pothole Mitigation technology

LOMMEL, Belgium, Apr. 7, 2016 – Potholes and other rough road surfaces have become a

pricey problem for motorists around the world.

Last year in the U.K. alone, the Royal Automobile Club responded to more than 25,000

pothole-related breakdowns – a nearly 25 per cent increase just since 2014.* Poor condition

and lack of maintenance of European roads are said to contribute to at least one third of all

accidents every year.**

Recognising the issue, Ford Motor Company has created a diabolical 1.9-kilometre (1.2mile)

road that consists of precise replicas of some of the worst potholes and road hazards from

around the world. What’s the point of this boulevard of broken suspensions? To help

engineers create more robust chassis systems and develop new innovations to ensure Ford

vehicles can better withstand the world’s increasingly choppy roads.

The road is part of 80 kilometres (50 miles) of test tracks at Ford’s test facility in Lommel,

Belgium. It incorporates potholes from Europe and the U.S., and simulates more than 100

hazards from 25 countries worldwide. In the past three years alone, Ford engineers’ search

for scary road hazards has taken them to Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain,

Switzerland, and the U.K., as well as Asia, Australia, North America, and South America.

“From a rutted traffic junction in China to a bumpy German side-street, this road is a rogues’

gallery of the most bruising surfaces that our customers might encounter,” said Eric-Jan

Scharlee, durability technical specialist, at Ford’s Lommel Proving Ground, in Belgium. “By

incorporating these real-world challenges into our test facilities we can develop future

vehicles to better cope with challenging conditions.”

Engineers are always investigating potential new additions for inclusion at the facility.

Employing similar equipment to that used by seismologists studying earthquakes, the

engineers drive through the potholes at speeds of up to 70 km/h (46 mph), using sensors to

record the loads and strains to the suspension and components. This includes surfaces as

diverse as granite blocks from Belgium, cobbles from Paris, and speed bumps from Brazil.

Ford’s obsession with making sure its cars can withstand the world’s worst roads has led to

innovation.  For example, Ford is debuting Continuous Control Damping with Pothole

Mitigation technology in Europe on Mondeo, Galaxy and S-MAX. The technology adjusts the

suspension if it detects that a wheel has dropped into a pothole, and can help protect the

suspension from damage. Ford’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System alerts drivers to

punctures, and Electronic Stability Control can help drivers maintain control of their vehicle

when avoiding obstacles.

For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com

Follow at www.facebook.com/FordMalaysia or www.youtube.com/FordMsia

All Ford vehicles for Europe are tested at Lommel, where Ford engineers and test drivers

cover more than 6 million kilometres (3.7 million miles) every year. For example, test drivers

there drove the all-new Transit over the course more than 5,000 times as part of a testing

regime designed to simulate ten years’ punishment in just six months. Test facilities also

include a high-speed circuit, salt- and mud-baths and corrosion testing in high-humidity

chambers. Prototype vehicles also are driven worldwide in temperatures ranging from -40 C

to 40 C.

“Analysing data inputs during vehicle testing has enabled Ford to develop a range of

advanced driver aids and design modifications to help continually improve the safety and

robustness of our vehicles,” Scharlee said.

# # #

* Pothole callouts rise by a quarter

** European Commission: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/192281_en.html

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