Can This Car Really ‘Jump’ Potholes?

Ford may have answered the age old conundrum of how to prevent wheel, tire and suspension damage from potholes with the active suspension on their 2017 Fusion.

Using some ultra-high-speed processing power and quick-reacting processes in the suspension itself, the forthcoming Fusion is able to detect when the car encounters a pothole. The signal is sent to the car’s suspension to “tighten up”, much like we as drivers do when we see that pending pothole impact, allowing the wheel to sort of skip across the pothole without letting the wheel fall into it like other vehicles.

By the time the rear wheel reaches the crater, the car is prepared and allows the rear to do the same as the front, tightening the shocks so that the wheel skims over the pothole instead of falling into it. This could save Fusion owners a lot of money and headaches from dealing with pothole impacts and the subsequent damage. Well played, Ford. The new Fusion will be available for purchase in the coming months.