Strong new Ford EcoSport SUV

THE humble beehive has inspired engineers to develop the ‘Honeycomb Shelf ’ – a lightweight, secret boot shelf that can support 100 times its own weight, a strength-to-weight-ratio stronger than steel.

Developed for the all-new Ford EcoSport SUV and designed to conceal valuables that may be fragile, the adjustable shelf can support loads of more than 300 kg – heavier than three average adult men, even wearing full beekeeping kit – but weighing less than 3 kg.

‘Nature is like one big innovation laboratory, and from bees to termites to beavers, animals are some of the world’s best engineers,’ said Bettina Veith, Ford EcoSport assistant chief engineer.

‘ The honeycomb’s ability to deliver strength without adding weight has already been put to good use in extreme applications like space rockets, jet planes and supercars, making it the natural choice to provide a super-strong platform for the EcoSport’s boot space.’

To create the ‘Honeycomb Shelf ’, engineers sandwiched a layer of honeycomb-like cells consisting of recycled paper and a water-based glue between two layers of light and durable fibreglass. The lightweight solution also benefits fuel efficiency.

Ford’s SUV sales in Europe surpassed 200,000 for the first time last year. Up to the end of November 2017, the company sold 24 per cent more SUVs, including 12 percent more compact EcoSport models, 25 per cent more mid-size Kuga models, and 94 per cent more large Edge models.