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Old 08-22-2009, 11:48 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Moderate your Moderation.
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hermie View Post
It's not purely cosmetic, so I'd leave it. Downforce at speed is a good thing, if you're thinking about stability. Your wing's shape actually will produce a bit of lift reduction.

It does add a slight degree of drag, but removing it will probably give you (just a guess) maybe a quarter of a mile per gallon extra, but you'll feel a little looser going down the freeway. Not good if you need to swerve to avoid an accident.

If you're going to electric, definitely keep it, because there's no MPGs to worry about.

I'd LOVE to have a car like that.
Yeah, actually, there are MPG's to worry about when you're going electric. You're still getting charged for the "fuel" as it were, and there is still pollution that is a part of your vehicle, which comes directly from the use of your vehicle's "fuel".

That wing will do just about nothing, at any speed that the average EV will travel. Chances are, if he's doing a conversion like most of the other ones on this site, and most @home conversions in general, he's not going to even be doing 60 MPH.

While I'm sure you have unlimited knowledge about exactly how a wing-type spoiler will hamper/degrade fuel efficiency, the minimal effect on economy that you claim that spoiler will have, is the same minimal effect on downforce at road speeds that it will have.

Include the fact that as an EV, that car will weigh ~150% of what it weighs now, and the aerodynamic downforce you allude to is of no consequence. If that wing can create 50% of the car's weight in downforce at 60MPH, it's creating a HUGE amount of drag as well.

It's simply not going to be necessary once he converts to EV, and it was never necessary with the gas engine, either, unless the operator were driving illegally.
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