Better MPG thru AERODYNAMICS….all the COOL kids are doing it!!!!

Everyone with a pick-up truck knows that the way to get better gas mileage is to drop the tail gate while driving…right? Well not really…..it turns out that the biggest improvement you can do for your pick-up is to get a tonneau bed cover. But trucks were built to haul stuff, and MPG is not high on the list of a truck owner. So what about the regular commuter?

Here’s an important lesson in physics: the faster you go the more wind resistance your car will encounter. When driving around town at low speed; drag does not play a significant role in gas mileage. But once you reach freeway speeds, the wind resistance has a major effect on your cars performance. “At 70 mph, you've got four times the force working against your vehicle that you have at 35 mph.” (edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106954/article.html) It takes much more energy for a car to overcome drag at 75 mph that at 35 mph. Therefore the faster you go the worse your MPG will be.

As gas gets more expensive, auto makers are reducing a cars drag coefficient (cd) by leaps and bounds, and they are spending billions in the process. In the past any car with a cd lower than .30 was considered sports car territory, but now Toyota has a couple of models out there that break this barrier. (edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106954/article.html) This is done in a couple of ways. Managing the way air flows around a car is a big deal. The more streamlined the better. Wind Tunnel testing has become an important feature in the development of a car. Under car body panels help move any air out from under the car that would usually become trapped. And things like rounded edges, smaller mirrors, and redesigned front grills and spoilers also help.

There are a couple of things we as commuters can do to increase our MPG by decreasing our cars drag coefficient. Roof racks, ugly wings, and huge body kits; really hinder the movement of air around your car….so get rid of those things. Closing your windows and sunroof at higher speeds will also have a positive effect on your MPG. Some people out there go as far as totally blocking out the front air dam, grill, and fog lights.

Some changes to your auto can really hurt the way your car slides through the air. Raising your truck will have a drastically negative effect on cd. So will putting on big wheels and tires that stick out. Bug guards also slow the airflow over your automobile.

I know the Lakers are in the Finals and as a fan you want to fly that flag on your car…..but remember, most extra things added to the exterior of your auto decrease you fuel economy. Remember less drag means better MPG.

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