Ford Airstream

Powerplant

The concept vehicle was powered by a rechargeable plug-in hybrid hydrogen fuel cell drive train, called HySeries Drive. This power plant system was developed with partial funding from the United States Department of Energy, and is currently being tested on a prototype version of the Ford Edge. The Airstream Concept's wheels were driven by electric motors, which were powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. The Ballard Power Systems hydrogen fuel cell system recharged the vehicle's battery pack as needed, as a portable generator, and the vehicle could also be plugged into an AC source, to recharge between trips. The HySeries Drive delivered the equivalent of a combined city/highway equivalent fuel economy of 41 mpg (U.S.) (5.7 L/100 km). In pure-battery mode, the Ford Airstream Concept was designed to travel about 25 mi, before the hydrogen-powered fuel cell began operating to recharge the vehicle's 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack. With a full load of hydrogen, the range increased another 280 mi, for a total of 305 mi. The sole exhaust emission from the operating vehicle was water vapor.

Exterior

The Ford Airstream included asymmetric doors. The passenger side door was a power clamshell hatch that ran two-thirds the length of the vehicle for loading of passengers and cargo. The crossover included a rear hatch for loading cargo aft.

Interior

The interior was inspired by spacecraft images and environments portrayed in 2001: A Space Odyssey, according to Ford. It was described as a "lounge atmosphere", meant to provide a relaxing experience while traveling. The instrument panel included flush-mounted, touch-sensitive controls and a single, multi-function gauge display with primary driving information. A center-mounted dual-view screen provided a camera view and secondary driver-oriented information, and also allowed the front-seat passenger to view DVD movies and work on the Internet.

The front seats were captain's chairs that could swivel and rotate to face aft. The rear seats were lounge-like, and included a 360-degree viewscreen for entertainment, games, Internet access, and as a live camera feed. The seats included four-point safety belts.

Specifications

• Powertrain: Ford/Ballard HySeries Drive plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell
• Chassis dimensions
  • Overall length: 185.0 in
  • Wheelbase: 125.9 in
  • Overall width: 78.9 in
  • Overall height at curb: 70.6 in
  • Front track width: 67.6 in
  • Rear track width: 69.2 in
• Suspension
  • Front: Double wishbone independent suspension
  • Rear: Multi-link independent
• Interior
  • Front headroom: 37.5 in
  • Rear headroom: 36.2 in
  • Front legroom: 39.6 in
  • Rear headroom: 33.1 in

References

References

1. "2007 Detroit Auto Show - Ford Airstream Concept; Crossover Model of the Future".
2. . ["2007 Airstream Concept"](http://media.ford.com/products/presskit_display.cfm?vehicle_id=1530&press_subsection_id=421&make_id=92). *Ford Motor Company*.