Quote:
Originally Posted by COMP
4mpg ,,,,how much wind is that  |
Wind that pushes against the side and front of the car in the opposite direction is much worse than wind coming directly from the front or rear. Of course, wind on the same day coming directly from the rear improves FE. So going in one direction has the exact opposite affect from going in the other direction. A headwind that takes away 2 mpg can add 2 mpg in the opposite direction, depending upon the Cd of the vehicle. The difference, then, is 4. But possibly much more or less depending upon the strength of the wind.
If you understand the affect of wind resistance on FE at high speeds, you can understand the affect at low speeds with high wind. The wind resistance at 60 mph with no wind is the same as 40 mph going directly into a 20 mph wind that is going in the opposite direction. Easily 4 mpg lost in FE.