New Ford Edge: this is the technology that cuts the consumption of the SUV

The new Ford Edge debuts an artificial intelligence technology in its all-wheel drive system that saves fuel and improves its efficiency.

The new Ford Edge debuts a sophisticated artificial intelligence system that improves the car’s grip on slippery surfaces while also helping to reduce the fuel consumption of the SUV.

The intelligent all-wheel drive system has been part of the Ford range for quite some time. Vehicles such as the Ford EcoSport, Edge, Galaxy, Kuga, Mondeo and S-MAX have been using this system for a while, which measures how the wheels grip the road surface in order to adjust the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels in less than 20 milliseconds.

Despite the immediacy of this system, Ford has gone one step further with the new four-wheel drive disconnection technology, a technology debuted by the new Ford Edge that halves the reaction time: to 10 milliseconds.

6.5% fuel saving compared with the previous all-wheel drive system

The new intelligent all-wheel drive system debuting in the new Ford Edge uses information from dozens of high-tech sensors that determine within a fraction of a second (10 milliseconds) whether all four wheels are needed or whether two-wheel drive is sufficient. When the car runs in “front-wheel drive mode”, the system saves up to 6.5% fuel compared with the previous all-wheel drive system.

Like any other intelligent all-wheel drive system, the one in the new Ford Edge operates in two-wheel drive mode when road conditions are favourable, which helps improve fuel efficiency. However, when driving conditions become more demanding, it switches to intelligent all-wheel drive in a tenth of a second, providing optimised traction.

“The concept is fairly simple; the challenge was the execution. The switch between two-wheel and four-wheel drive has to be fast and smooth enough that the customer doesn’t know it’s happening,” says Scott Beiring, engine applications supervisor at Ford.

Other factors that reduce fuel consumption in the Ford Edge

In addition to disconnecting the four-wheel drive, other elements help reduce the fuel consumption of the new Ford Edge. Among them is the efficiency of the 2.0-litre, 190 CV EcoBlue diesel engine, whose consumption figures have improved thanks to more efficient operation.

The car also features the new eight-speed automatic gearbox, which helps get the most out of the engine in a more efficient way.

Finally, the car comes with the Auto Start-Stop system as standard, a technology that, as we all know, saves fuel by switching off the engine when the car stops at a stop sign, a zebra crossing or simply in a traffic jam.