Ford opens $20m research facility
April 15, 2009 by David Twomey
Ford Australia, the Victorian state government and the University of Melbourne have jointly opened a new research facility at the Ford Proving Ground, near Lara outside Melbourne, that the group says will increase the competitiveness of Australia’s automotive industry through the availability of world-class emissions, environmental and engine development facilities.
From L-R: Professor Iven Mareels from University of Melbourne, Marin Burela President & CEO of Ford Australia, and Hon Gavin Jennings Victorian Minister for Innovation at the opening of the the recently completed environmental testing laboratory at Ford’s Proving Ground..
The new $20 million Advanced Centre for Automotive Research and Testing (ACART) comprises a multi-fuel emissions cell, an environmental testing laboratory and an engine dynamometer facility.
ACART provides Australian automotive companies and suppliers with access to world-class facilities that were previously unavailable in Australia.
Established to enhance the technical competitiveness of Ford Australia and the quality of academic research and testing at the University of Melbourne, ACART will also be available for other automotive manufacturers and suppliers for use on a commercial basis.
“The collaboration and investment undertaken between Ford, the University of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government on the ACART project highlights a continued confidence in the future of our industry in Australia,” said Ford Australia President & CEO Marin Burela.
“These new facilities present an exciting opportunity for Ford to work with the University of Melbourne, with assistance from the State Government, to make a real difference to environmental research and development in Victoria.
“The project also demonstrates our commitment to technological leadership, and helps build Ford’s capability as an innovative and progressive manufacturer dedicated to improving future product.”
Recent development work undertaken using the completed ACART facilities has seen a significant improvement in the fuel economy and reduced emissions of Ford’s volume selling Falcon sedan.
From April 2009 production, a Falcon XT sedan with the optional ZF six-speed automatic transmission will now have a fuel consumption rating of just 9.9 L/100km, which will see it rank as one of the fuel efficiency leaders in the Large car segment.
Accompanying the reduction in fuel economy is a reduction in CO2 tailpipe emissions – down to 236 g/km – to give the Falcon XT an improved green vehicle accreditation with a 5.5 star Greenhouse Rating (for vehicles producing less than 241 g/km of CO2 emissions).
The largest of the three facilities, an Environmental Testing Laboratory at Ford’s Proving Ground, significantly surpasses the technical capability of any competitive facility in the Asia-Pacific region.
The state-of-the-art laboratory can replicate conditions ranging from -40ºC to +55ºC, wind speeds of up to 250km/h, and create humidity. It will also have the capability to incorporate snow and rain conditions at a later date.
“It has previously been impossible to experience similar climatic extremes without making trips to locations outside of Victoria. Having these facilities close to hand means we can test a variety of different variables without having to leave the Proving Ground,” said Mr Burela.
As the Environmental Testing Laboratory is a collaborative business venture, it will also be available for others in the automotive industry, including car companies, to use for their own research and development.
Mr Jennings said this would probably be of particular interest to companies from throughout the Asian region.
The two additional ACART projects are a new emissions lab cell, which is also located at the Proving Ground, and an engine dynamometer facility installed at the University of Melbourne.
Professor Mareels said sustainable transport was the ideal of many engineers and the facility would provide valuable research capacity to make this a reality.
ACART is a collaborative agreement between Ford and the University of Melbourne and also receives funding from the Victorian State Government’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) infrastructure grants program.
The cost of the $19.7 million project was met by the three partners.
“ACART is an innovative and historic project, which presents us and our partners with a range of economic, environmental and developmental opportunities,” said Mr Burela.
Print it: 
Clive Matthew-Wilson I think you should read this.
Australian ingenuity shows the way again. I can see asian (and possibly others) car companies utilizing this facility.
“Clive Matthew-Wilson I think you should read this.”
He’ll have to take his head out of his arse first.
I keep seeing the XT with 6spd auto constantly being referred to – no one buys an XT & options it with the ZF…
Great stuff seeing Ford investing in more R & D. I’ll have my new FG MK11 F6 with 18 p.s.i boost 350Kw and 700nm of torque with the new eight speed ZF Auto and oh yes with fuel consumption of 9.9.litres per 100km thanks and yes I’d like fries with that too LOL.
Thier called chips in australia Buck ;)
Buck, good luck seeing 9.9 with a F6, in real world driving were you actually use throttle those boosted engines use more then the chev v8’s.
I saw a BA and BF Xr6 driving side by side yesterday, fuck they look similar. Ford really didnt do enough to differentiate them. If you are going to do a body up design, atleast change the panels. The roofline is different, bur still very similar. The tail lights are the main differentiating factor.
Sorry, “they’re” is the proper pronunciation.
Tom, the BF looks the same as the BA because they are essentialy the same car. (the BF has slightly different bumpers) The FG looks very different to the BA/BF And every panel has been changed.
With all due respect, if you cant tell the difference, you should probably consider glasses…. and maybe a Toyota? :)
Falcodore, sorry i meant FG and BA/BF.
They have changed every panel, but the differences (particularly back on) are still minimal.
Its clearly a new model, i just wish they went a bit more extroverted with the styling differentiation like Holden did with the VE. I think Ford AUS is still scared from the AU
How much research would it take to realise that a smaller lighter car uses less fuel then their current big fat dinosaur ?
SamR, your “big fat dinosaur” statement is getting old. We get it, you don’t like Aussie made cars.
SamR, the Falcon has a 4l I6, whereas the Aurion has a 3.5 v6 and the Falcon is a heavier car but they both have the same fuel economy figures.
So based on that you would have to say this facility is already paying for itself.
Falconore, Real world economy is better in the Aurion then the test lab economy of the Falcon.
I know a few people who are horrified by their city fuel economy in their Falcon. Basic physics, starting and stopping a big heavy car often will use lots of fuel. Not everyone spends all their time cruising the highway in top gear.
Nice car i recone it looks very fresh to me very eroupean looking i think thay done good job with the fg and its the best large car we no have its lifted the game what more can you possible wont for the money
SamR, dont know where you get your info from but thats wrong. If you read articles on Falcon or Aurion you will see that the Falcon has better real world economy.
If you think about it, it stands to reason. An I6 with lots of low down torque that doesnt have to be revved hard to get going versus a “peaky” V6 that has to be revved hard to get going due to its lack of torque.
SamR,
thats funny because every review ive read says the falcon is better in real world efficiency and thats before they improved the efficiency.
Basics numbers really, more torque and with it reached much earlier in the rev range, you dont need to prod the pedel as much to get it moving
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Falcadore you beat me to it
Spam word = Racing.
you certainly raced right past me to get that one in first
^Didnt mean to steal your thunder AM
Anti spam word = Falcon LOL
SamR,please do not argue with these petrol head bogans.they will not accept anything unless its suit them.they will even swear at you.they think they knew everything.but they are nothing.we all knows dinosaur days are numbered.
The Falcon in the picture is an E-Gas falcon, so its cheaper to run than your Aurion. I dont see Toyota embracing alternative fuels. Oh wait.. I know why because its a car manufactured everywhere else in the world (V6 Camry Stateside).
Lara, “outside Melbourne”? more like outside Geelong!!!! We need to increase the speed limit of cars on the Princess Freeway to 150km/h…
samr,
Oh really? I’ve driven no less than 5 different aurions with a full tank of fuel in city driving and have been ‘horrified’ by the lack of fuel economy.
Reality is an aurion is NO better than an FG for ‘real world’ fuel consumption.
sick of bogans,
Nice try.
Please tell all of us what you drive? how many different vehicles you drive weekly?
You are the perfect example of perception that doesn’t match reality.
Wake up.
sick of bogans,
Also take a look at the sales figures of aurion AND camry.
Hmmm appear not only are the dinosaurs suffering from sales declines.
I didn’t know RWD platforms where ‘dinosaurs’?
Someone better inform BMW, MERC, AUDI, JAG etc…
Adam we have worked out who this guy is…….same as “The Fact” and today hes the “Star”………you can spot him by how he doesn’t use capital letters at the start of his sentences and the accent ;)
Bavarian Missile (.)(.) AKA DA COGAR,
Cheers for the heads up! I need to keep up with the trolls :)
Damn I’m sooo upset that Ford is going belly up in australia. It is such a shame that they have no money to put back into the comunity :-(
For all the doubting thomas’ here (and the doubting tossers no nmaes no court marshals) FG g6 with the 5spd Bordeaux was more economical than the Accord V6 Active fuel managed car and the Aurion and the VE Berlina when tested by the Qld Motoring organisation. Damn Dinosaurs, you just can’t trust them can you?
As to the facility about time the testing ground got an upgrade. Ford Aus is on the move, again thanks to having an Ausie at the helm,
Exactly :)
This is evidence that Ford Aus aren’t going belly up. They are continuing to spend on world class infrastructure in Australia. They pioneered a new facility last year with an anachoic sound chamber.
All of these investments are making their vehicles better and help to increase their share of the worldwide R&D.
Real world economy for FG beats VE, Aurion and Accord. Ask this site or the major magazines too. This was before this update too which has benefitted from this facility.
PS The real shame is this investment will get ignored by the general media. The only stories to get run’s are negative’s about Ford and positives about Holden. I’m used to it.
I use 11L/100km from the Falcon. I live in the CBD(Melbourne) and more then 50% off my driving in city traffic. Not bad for a dinasour.
My MPS3 averaged 10.5L/100Km and the Golf R32 10L.
Maybe Ford should advertise better. Actually definitely.
Falcon 11% More powerful* than C’dore. (195 vs 175kW)
Falcon 20% More torquey* than C’dore. (391 vs 325Nm)
Falcon 22% More acceleration* than C’dore (7.4s vs 9.1s 0-100kmh)
Falcon 14% More Economical** than C’dore. (9.9 vs 11.3L/100km)
* Standard Falcon 6 vs Standard C’dore 6.
** Standard Falcon 6 with 6spd ZF vs Top Line C’dore 6.
Here is another comparison.
Falcon 67% More powerful* than Camry. (195 vs 117kW)
Falcon 79% More torquey* than Camry. (391 vs 325Nm)
Falcon 28% More acceleration* than Camry (7.4s vs 9.5s 0-100kmh)
Falcon uses same** fuel as Camry. (9.9L/100km)
* Standard Falcon 6 vs Standard Camry Auto 4.
** Standard Falcon 6 with 6spd ZF vs Camry Auto 4.
Edit: Falcon 79% More torquey* than Camry. (391 vs 218Nm)
Damn that cut and paste! LOL.
Samr
Here are some real life comments unlike your emotional garbage. I had (until December 08) an Aurion. It was from the first batch built and when it was written off in an accident with a drunken driver, it had 51′000 kms on it. In the “real world” around Melbourne it averaged 10.7 L/100 and on long trips it would drop down to 7.2L/100. I now have a VE Berlina Sportswagon with the so call dinasour 4 speed Auto. It was the only spec I could get in a hurry as I wanted a wagon, someting Toyota does not offer. It now has 16′000 kms on it. In and around Melbourne is returns 11.0L/100 and on trips interstate gives 7.8 to 8.1L/100. That is from a cra that is around 200kgs heavier than the Aurion, physicaly larger so less aerodynamic and has a so called dinosaur 4 speed auto against 6 speed in the Aurion. On top of this it is more comfortable, carries more and is cheaper for servicing.
I also have sales reps with BF and FG Falcons and they return very similar numbers to the Commodore. Around town it is line ball but the Falcons do offer slightly better returns on longer runs. Not sure where you get your info from but these are real world figures not emotional garbage souted by your fine self!
Falcodore, Japaneses car companies all ready have its own research facility all over the world.(Europe, North-America, and Japan itself. )
Phil C. how big is the falcon’s engine and the Camry’s?The v4 or v6? Because Toyota has only the 2.4 v4 available in australia. Not the v6 like here in North-America.
Oh,Falcodore, Toyota research facility in North-America cost over $100m. Not so cheap as ford, eh?
Patrick,
I wouldnt be asking the size of the falcons 6cyl because it will embarras the camry more because an engine near doublt the size and pushing more weight is just as efficient.
This new facility is a big deal for the Aussie industry.
Doesnt matter what they spent in relation to what toyota did, fact is if they spent less (or got cheap as you say), they spent it more wisely as this facility helped get a bigger 6cyl car to be as efficient as a lighter 4cyl camry.
Also, im sure toyotas 100million facility wasnt just for fuel efficiency and emissions research. Im sure that 100 million included research for other aspects of developing a car
^^^^
Pardon the typos
Spot on Andrew M, oh and by the way Patrick, the Camry doesn’t have a V4 engine. As long as you keep learning you’ll get there..
Yeah Patrick, that 100 million they spent hasnt helped them much has it? They still build bland, boring cars that have abyssmal driving dynamics and 4 cylinder engines with fuel economy that Fords so called “dinosaur” engine can match and even beat.
Shows whose spending their money wisely doesnt it.