Ford pushes new Transit to the limit to test durability19 June 2014

Ford has released details of the intensive testing regime it set for the new Transit, to simulate a tough 10-year working lifecycle for the vehicle.

Prototypes covered the equivalent of 11 million km – 275 round-the-world trips – with customers, on proving grounds, and across four continents in temperatures of +40 to -40 deg C.

Testing includes corrosive salt- and mud-baths, non-stop driving for two months at top speed, and continuous figure-of-eight manoeuvres for a month.

As a result of the tests, more than 100 improvements were made to its design.

"I don't think many customers would believe what this vehicle has been through," says David Gregory, Ford's Transit chief programme engineer. "We inflict the worst possible treatment that a van could endure, and we're only satisfied when our new vehicle comes through with flying colours."

The testing took place at Ford's facilities in Lommel, Belgium, and in Romeo, Michigan.

At Lommel, the van, chassis cab and minibus versions were put through more than 30 tests. These included towing a trailer at maximum weight, at top speed, non-stop, for two months, over gravel roads and through salt- and mud-baths. Prototypes were tested for corrosion resistance in high-humidity chambers for 12 weeks and put through non-stop, figure-of-eight manoeuvres for one month.

Engineers have driven the Transit more than 5,000 times over an extreme course of potholes and bumps, and conducted a strength test by driving it at 60 km/h into a 14cm-high kerb.

Prior to launch, the new model covered more than 300,000 miles with high-mileage Transit customers.

The two-tonne Transit is the flagship of the new range. It is now available along with the Custom, Connect and Courier models.

Author
Laura Cork

Related Companies
Ford Motor Co Ltd

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