Ford Door Edge Protector for the Ford Focus

The system will make its production debut in January 2012 on the new Focus, and was designed by Ford engineers in Cologne, Germany. It comprises of a protective flap concealed in the door that moves into position in a fraction of a second as the door opens providing a buffer to prevent damage to paint and body work.

The rubber flap fully extends at a door opening gap of less than 15cm and according to Ford, retracts in a mere 60 milliseconds to allow for doors being slammed shut. It also includes a clutch mechanism that prevents damage if the flap is obstructed when returning.

Ford says that the feature offers protection against more than 90 per cent of variously positioned obstructions to the front doors and 85 per cent at the rear doors. And for heavy users, the rubber flap can be replaced simply by clipping a new unit into place.

“The Door Edge Protector will be one of those features that we think will make customers say ‘Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?’” said Matthias Tensing, product development system engineer. “It will help parents with children in the backseat or anyone who needs to park in a tight spot.”