benzapa
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2022
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- NorCal
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- Ordered: 2022 Mach E California Route 1
Not sure if this is snark or not, so going to drop this bit of history here just in case:I highly doubt Ford deliberately chose a part that was not fit for purpose. Why would they do that, it costs them more down there line. Also, every single car manufacturer (likely with the exception of super cars or high-end performance vehicles) chooses parts based on the accountant. No manufacturer is going to over-spec a part just because and increase the manufacturing cost of the car. As an engineer, there are plenty of safety factors built in such that parts are not chosen on the borderline of the specs. Point is, every component in the Mach E had to be approved by an accountant. This is actually a good thing, our cars would be far more expensive if just built by the engineers.
"Internal company documents showed that Ford secretly crash-tested the Pinto more than forty times before it went on the market and that the Pinto's fuel tank ruptured in every test performed at speeds over twenty-five miles per hour. This rupture created a risk of fire.
"Ford engineers considered numerous solutions to the fuel tank problem, including lining the fuel tank with a nylon bladder at a cost of $5.25 to $8.00 per vehicle, adding structural protection in the rear of the car at a cost of $4.20 per vehicle, and placing a plastic baffle between the fuel tank and the differential housing at a cost of $1.00 per vehicle. None of these protective devices was used.
"Adding to the pressure to ignore these safety costs was Lee Iacocca's stated goal that the Pinto was not to weigh an ounce over 2,000 pounds and not to cost a cent over $2,000. So, even when a crash test showed that a one-pound, one-dollar piece of plastic prevented the gas tank from being punctured, the alternative was thrown out as extra cost and extra weight."
From: https://www.tortmuseum.org/ford-pinto/
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