Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Mercedes aero engineer: Cd of .20 feasible in production cars within 10 yrs

aerohead · 10-28-2009, 07:05 PM

I just read Mr. Voll's article,thanks Darin!
If he is referring to the GM Aero( which used to reside at the GM exhibit at Epcot Center,Orlando,Florida),it had a higher Cd than the Citation.
The Citation never had a bellypan,hence it's higher Cd than Probe.
As far as gaps,every real car has got to have "cut lines" for the hood,doors,trunklid,fuel door/charging port,etc..He may have been referring to a development model.I don't know.
GM's Program For New Generation Vehicle(PNGV) 80-mpg car,circa 2004 came in around Cd 0.165.
They started with the EV-1 in the windtunnel,and did two development teams in parallel to develop a body in white.
Their "solution" addressed many issues Mr. Voll cites as barriers to lower drag in production cars.
There's a good chance I've missed some things,as after Clinton left the White House it's been really difficult to look out the window.

10-28-2009, 07:05 PM	#21 (permalink)
aerohead Master EcoModder Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sanger,Texas,U.S.A. Posts: 16,268 Thanks: 24,393 Thanked 7,360 Times in 4,760 Posts	now I'm completely confused! I just read Mr. Voll's article,thanks Darin! If he is referring to the GM Aero( which used to reside at the GM exhibit at Epcot Center,Orlando,Florida),it had a higher Cd than the Citation. The Citation never had a bellypan,hence it's higher Cd than Probe. As far as gaps,every real car has got to have "cut lines" for the hood,doors,trunklid,fuel door/charging port,etc..He may have been referring to a development model.I don't know. GM's Program For New Generation Vehicle(PNGV) 80-mpg car,circa 2004 came in around Cd 0.165. They started with the EV-1 in the windtunnel,and did two development teams in parallel to develop a body in white. Their "solution" addressed many issues Mr. Voll cites as barriers to lower drag in production cars. There's a good chance I've missed some things,as after Clinton left the White House it's been really difficult to look out the window.