Summer heat can weigh heavily on a vehicle. However, improvements in design and engineering led by programs such as Ford’s Heat Protection and Underhood Temperatures (HPUT) department have ushered in a new era of heat management in cars and trucks.

In the past, it was not uncommon to see cars overheated and drivers in distress on the highway, but advanced engineering has dramatically reduced the effect of heat under the hood.

The HPUT department uses unique heat management testing before vehicles enter production, such as the Ford Escape, Explorer, Ranger, F-Series and Super Duty models. Testing methods include simulating worst-case environmental conditions for Ford vehicles to determine the engineering necessary to best protect customers.

The analytical computer-aided engineering (CAE) used by Ford enables engineers to virtually determine which components need to be modified before real-world vehicle testing begins on actual prototype vehicles. This innovative approach saves time and money because CAE helps identify and resolve issues early in the development process, without the costly destruction of actual vehicles.

Ford’s HPUT team emulates desert conditions, idling, towing and highway speeds through the use of wind tunnels and other facilities. After extensive CAE analysis, HPUT ultimately confirms its virtual findings by putting real vehicles through the rigorous heat testing process.

Currently, Ford is piloting a number of programs that will enable it to improve speed and thoroughness earlier in the HPUT development process.