Ford unveils unique Easy Access Door System in the all-new B-MAX

Ford has revealed its Easy Access Door System in the all-new B-MAX. This system merges the central body pillars into the doors in order to create 1.5-meter wide passable openings on either side of the vehicle. In this way, everyday motoring stress is also reduced. In most of the back-door openings, around half of that space is only provided. For many years, door systems like this have been a designer’s dream. During the concept’s development stage, a team observed drivers for several days in their daily routine to comprehend what customers exactly wanted in a compact automobile. Engineers then produced a practical and safe car that would meet those needs. They transferred the high-strength body-structure from the central body pillars and combined it into the doors directly in order to ensure exceptional crash protection, specifically during a side impact.
Special steels, which are made with ultra-high strength, were utilized in key areas of the doors and body to build an extremely stiff and strong structure without adding extra weight. These steels provide at most five times the strength of traditional mild steel. The process included rigorous analysis and testing at every stage. At least 1,000 detailed computer simulations were made in a span of three years to optimize side impact crash performance. Each simulation took 24 hours to finish. It uses the equivalent computer-power of eight high-end PCs. These simulations were then put to a test in real-world conditions through a further 50 physical side impact crashes.