Quote:
Originally Posted by JulianEdgar
Vman455 told me he used sheet metal for external front air curtains and recorded a drag increase on his Prius - but they gave much better stability when passing trucks.
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Yes, this is correct--the sheet metal front ducts by themselves appear to increase drag based on fuel economy testing. But when I compared pressure difference on each side of the car just behind the front wheel arches (at Julian's suggestion--thanks!), I found that the average pressure difference between sides in a 25 mph crosswind was nearly 15% lower with the ducts on. The wing sections seem to be a better solution, and something I'll probably try in the future.