[kach22i]

https://insideevs.com/news/567919/ev-aerodynamics-boost-range/

Back to the Future

The case for streamlined cars isn't new - for decades, mankind has searched for higher top speeds, especially in racing. And because aerodynamics is by far the most dominant force to overcome at high speeds (even at highway speeds, over half the energy goes to pushing air away...), reducing the aerodynamic drag coefficient has been key...............................

So how did the Mercedes W125 beat the Veyron decades ago? You guessed it - aerodynamics. The aerodynamic power required to push the air away scales with the cube of velocity, whereas mechanical losses (like drivetrain and rolling resistance) only scale linearly with velocity. So at these speeds, aerodynamics easily account for over 90% of all energy needs.

The record-breaking Mercedes W125 - Drag coefficient Cd of 0.235

Ford Probe Y - Drag coefficient Cd of 0.137

Recent attempts have been made to make cars as aerodynamic as possible while still maintaining good looks, like the Lightyear One (featuring a Cd value "below 0.20") and the Mercedes EQXX (featuring a Cd value of 0.17!).

The EV push

With the breakthrough of electric cars, a lot of focus is now on the range of these vehicles. Every kWh/km of energy consumption that can be saved, makes the car cheaper (fewer battery cells), lighter (less battery weight), and more efficient (less weight means lower rolling resistance). With range anxiety holding back a lot of potential buyers, aerodynamics again play a key role. The more streamlined the car, the bigger the range for the same battery.

It's not a coincidence that Tesla has a massive focus on aerodynamic efficiency - not only for their cars but also for the Tesla Semi truck. And they are not alone: newcomers like Lucid and Rivian also work hard to make surfaces as clean and streamlined as possible.