Ford’s New AI Will Highly Reduce Fuel Consumption By Cars

Artificial Intelligence will something over which we will mostly going to rely on in our upcoming future. But the thing over which our present highly demand is slowly vanishing, fossil flues are at there end. According to BP’s annual statistical review, the world has 53.3 years of oil left at the current rate of production.

Though we are heading toward electric cars at rapid speed, a stable future is miles ahead, our four-wheelers still rely on fuels like diesel and petrol. Eighty percent of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels, along with other vehicles cars are the biggest consumer of it.



In order to reduce this rapid consumption of fuel, American car manufacturing company Ford has come up with a pretty unique concept. Ford has announced in a press release that 2019 Ford Edge crossover in all-wheel drive and ST trims will use artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize traction settings, improve handling and control fuel consumption.

Ford said 2019 Ford Edge SUV will have both all-wheel drive and two-wheel drive traction. The AI will tell the vehicle when to switch between two-wheel and all-wheel-drive modes. Ford called this new AI system as ‘All-Wheel-Drive Disconnect’.




Ford’s All-Wheel-Drive Disconnect uses the information collected from dozens of sensors to determine whether the all-wheel drive is needed or not. The sensors send information to a dedicated computer which uses a form of AI to make the final decision.

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“The concept is pretty simple, it was the execution that was the challenge. Shifting between two- and all-wheel drive needs to be fast and seamless enough that the customer doesn’t know it is happening”, said the brand’s driveline applications supervisor, Scott Beiring. “It’s like your or I determining what to wear based on reading a weather forecast, where we’re going, the time of year and looking outside.




The 2019 Ford Edge will have a new dedicated “electronic brain” that communicates constantly with the Traction Control to detect wheel slip. It calculates the data received from the sensors in a fraction of a second, it is quicker than the human brain to determine if the all-wheel-drive mode is needed or not.

It also receives inputs from the ABS and can detect whether the windshield wipers are on, what’s the outside temperature and if the SUV is towing a trailer behind it. The system’s computer receives and processes data from these sensors, including its anti-lock brakes, windshield wipers, outside temperature, and whether there is a wheel slip or the vehicle is towing a trailer.

Ford said the algorithm uses “fuzzy logic” processes. These processes help Ford’s AI system to combines the information received from the numerous sensors. With the help of “fuzzy logic” processes, the algorithm quickly analyzes the data to determine which mode will be best for the current situation -all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive

The system needs only 10 milliseconds to decide whether the vehicle needs AWD or not. Depending on the situation, the powertrain can channel up to 100 percent of the available power from the front to the rear wheels.




“It’s like you or I determining what to wear based on reading a weather forecast, where we’re going, the time of year and looking outside. In the case of the new Edge, just because the windshield wipers are on doesn’t mean the all-wheel drive is going to engage. The algorithm makes the call based on a variety of things that are happening – but much faster than a person could process,” said Beiring.

Because of ‘All-Wheel-Drive Disconnect’, the 2019 Ford Edge returns an EPA-estimated 21/28/23 mpg (25/34/28 mpg UK / 11/8/10 l/100 km) in city/highway/combined. FWD models have fuel economy ratings of 22/29/25 mpg (26/35/30 mpg UK / 11/8/9 l/100 km), while the Edge ST returns 19/26/21 mpg (23/31/25 mpg UK / 12/9/11 l/100 km).

The all-wheel-drive disconnect isn’t the only fuel-saving technique used by the 2019 Edge and Edge ST. Other fuel-saving measures include exhaust gas recirculation, deceleration fuel shut-off -which stops the fuel flow to the engine if speed is being reduced-, active transmission warm-up that uses the reclaimed heat energy to warm up the gearbox faster.

Ford said the new-year model will receive a new eight-speed automatic with two overdrive gears for improved highway cruising. The eight-speed also features an active transmission warm-up that uses reclaimed heat energy to warm up the transmission quicker.

Further improving the vehicle’s aerodynamics are the active grille shutters, full underbody shields and air curtains, whose purpose is to reduce drag.

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