Ford Motor Company Limited

Jeffery J Schultz

Bipin D Parekh

Pravin R Shah

Jeff E Roan

An integral center-mounted airhandling system includes a pair of blowers (211), an evaporator core (260), and a heater core (262) located within the center of the vehicle such that the vehicle can be readily adapted for left-side or right-side steering mechanisms. The blowers (211), evaporator core (260), and heater core (262) are preferably incorporated within a single, one-piece housing (213) so as to reduce materials, manufacturing, and assembling costs. The dual blowers (211) provide completely independent two zone operational and temperature control for the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle, as well as operational redundancy and conservation of electrical power within electrically powered vehicles. The instrument panel duct assembly (218) is fabricated from a carbon composite material so as to also serve as a structural cross-beam within the vehicle thereby eliminating the need for separate structural cross-beam structure which also reduces materials, fabrication, and assembly costs for the vehicle, as well as the overall weight of the vehicle.

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Highland Heights, KY, United States of America

Jeffery J Schultz