Ford B-Max has been Tested in 5000 Virtual Crashes

Ford is claiming that the new B-Max is one of the safest vehicles that it has ever produced. It developed a virtual crash testing system that let it put the B-Max through 5000 virtual collisions from every angle. The car also has passive safety features like new steel latches on the doors that lock the doors together when hit from the side.

The B-Max was crash tested over five year and including the 5000 virtual tests; it took 40 actual crash tests and 100 tests where the car was shot into a barrier. 

“We performed virtual car-to-car crashes at a 30 degree angle into the front and rear doors to further validate the performance of the door structure. We also built a special rig to test the reinforced latch mechanism. The forces involved in these tests are massive and the doors performed exactly as expected,” said Ford Safety Manager Tom Overington

To create this safety, the front and rear doors  and load bearing areas are made from ultra-high-strength steel that amounts to 58% of the car. It also have seven airbags including airbags for the side thorax  and the side of the head. 

To deal with regulations about pedestrian impacts, the hood was built to minimize hard points, and the windshield wiper motors were moved to the sides of the hood too keep the center as hollow as possible. 

Similar to Volkswagen, Ford has developed an Active City Stop system for the B-Max that will apply the brakes automatically if it detects an impending collision. 

“We’re delighted with the performance of B-MAX. We are targeting a maximum five-star safety rating when the vehicle is assessed by Euro NCAP later this year,” said Overington.