Automotive designer Adrian Clarke on low drag

[aerohead]

'(Cd) 0.13, it's way too far out there for the mainstream acceptance.'
Adrian Clarke, designer, THE AUTOPIAN, circa March 29, 2022.
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World's northern hemispheric temperature setting an all-time-high in recorded history is an easier sell.

[freebeard]

Tempting:

www.theautopian.com: I’m A Real Car Designer And I’ll Draw Your Ridiculous Ideas --By Adrian Clarke --March 29, 2022

Hopefully this has given you some idea of the beginning of the car design process. Now it’s your turn. Submit your ideas to design@theautopian.com and we’ll pick the best, most interesting or downright weirdest, and together set about turning them into reality. Well, into some nice renders, at least.

edit: Autopian is a rabbit hole I shall gladly fall down.


https://www.theautopian.com/could-fo...ge-volkswagen/

2nd edit:
Turns out Jason Torchinsky writes for them. I knew about the White Horse only from one full page magazine ad, here's a whole article:

www.theautopian.com: This Amazing Old Delivery Van Was A VW Bus 10 Years Early And Proves The Corvair Was Not America’s First Rear-Engined Air-Cooled Vehicle



Mid-rear engine. Three years of production, 1939-41.

[awy]

in terms of making the widest impact on societal transportation gas consumption, modification of the SUV to be more efficient has to be up there, but it's a bit underresearched. I think the biggest areas of gain are on the underside, and a more tapered rear shape to reduce the pressure drag on the back.

suv ride height makes the drag bigger, but maybe an active rear air tunnel that can get raised up when offroading. let's face it most suv miles are short trips around town or on highways.

the rear taper is i think getting more and more adopted but the tradeoff is in storage space and third row headspace. it won't ever be a boat tail sort of aeromod but with the viability of wagon shaped suvs in the market maybe a flatter design can be attempted.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by awy

in terms of making the widest impact on societal transportation gas consumption, modification of the SUV to be more efficient has to be up there, but it's a bit underresearched. I think the biggest areas of gain are on the underside, and a more tapered rear shape to reduce the pressure drag on the back.

suv ride height makes the drag bigger, but maybe an active rear air tunnel that can get raised up when offroading. let's face it most suv miles are short trips around town or on highways.

the rear taper is i think getting more and more adopted but the tradeoff is in storage space and third row headspace. it won't ever be a boat tail sort of aeromod but with the viability of wagon shaped suvs in the market maybe a flatter design can be attempted.

I think you are on to something as SUV's dominate the roads these days.

Two ways (of many) to lower drag:

1. Lower clearance height.

2. Belly pan.

If an SUV is to be a SUV (something with ample ride height) and not a crossover-ish Ford Mach-E or Tesla-X, then a belly pan is the solution.

[The Toecutter]

Regarding making SUVs more efficient, a good shape to consider is the Mercedes Bionic hatchback concept from 2005. This could be given more ground clearance, larger wheels, and scaled to fit a small or midsized crossover or SUV, and a drag coefficient close to the Bionic's 0.19 could be achieved.

This is the path to a 5,000 lb electric SUV/CUV that only needs 0.25 kWh/mile at highway speeds.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by The Toecutter

Regarding making SUVs more efficient, a good shape to consider is the Mercedes Bionic hatchback concept from 2005. This could be given more ground clearance, larger wheels, and scaled to fit a small or midsized crossover or SUV, and a drag coefficient close to the Bionic's 0.19 could be achieved.

This is the path to a 5,000 lb electric SUV/CUV that only needs 0.25 kWh/mile at highway speeds.

For cars, at, or near Cd 0.19, so far, the Bionic Boxfish is the gold standard for packaging efficiency.
Another 'solution' for modern day challenges, languishing in the shadows of history.
Good eye. Good call.