Cummins Electric Rig

[Shepherd777]

This rig has already been posted in the Fossil Free Forum, but I thought I would post it over here in aero as well.

I love Cummins, and they have been a valued partner of my company for over 35 years. So I'm gonna hold off on commenting for now.

That being said, would anyone like to comment on the aerodynamics of the hood and front end of their new electric tractor?

[kach22i]

Well, if that visor works anything like the artist illustration below, then apparently the air gets squeezed out to the sides.

Model 587 Features & Specification | Peterbilt On Highway Trucks | Peterbilt Motors Compan


And, if the front wheel fairings taper at the aft, there should be a small footprint there. A big bonus would be venting the wheel wells at that location like a race car.

As much as I want to get nit-picky about this design, I am hopeful they did their homework and it is not just a styling exercise.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...-26678-59.html



In anycase this is a fresh looking approach.

Some well rounded edges/corners on that hood would have helped though.

[redpoint5]

The aerodynamic problem with tractors isn't in the front, but in the abrupt end of the trailer. The closer to a sideways teardrop you get, the more efficient the design.

I see a lack of side mirrors, which is excellent, but most state laws don't permit a vehicle without mirrors regardless of video cameras. These laws need to be revised.

The shape won't matter too much once automation allows trucks to draft each other in teams.

[NeilBlanchard]

The front fenders need a wider space all the way through; or don't have the slot at all.

I am wondering why the wheels have so much concavity. The rears are singles, by the way.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

The rears are singles, by the way.

I could not tell that from the posted photos - good catch.

Did you see the 100 mile range?

Inner-city medium delivery truck at best.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aut...-before-tesla/

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I have already seen semi-trailers with single wheels, but it was about time for them to be featured in a tractor unit.

[freebeard]

That being said, would anyone like to comment on the aerodynamics of the hood and front end of their new electric tractor?

Needs a shark mouth painted across the front bumper?

I see NeilBlanchard's point about the front fender tops. I'm more curious about the front wheelwell cut-line with speed whiskers. And the deep undercut across the bottom of the cab. And the alternating concave-convex contour of the rear cab edge.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I have already seen semi-trailers with single wheels, but it was about time for them to be featured in a tractor unit.

I am not sure that continuing to call it a semi-truck is an accurate description.

What are the guidelines on that description?

This is how the article I posted describes it.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aut...-before-tesla/

The Aeos is a fully electric, class 7 day-cab urban hauler.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck_classification

The classes range from 1–8.[1][2] Trucks are also classified more broadly by the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which groups classes 1–3 as light duty, 4–6 as medium duty, and 7–8 as heavy duty.

Maybe it is a semi-truck after all?

[freebeard]

It will always be the articulated fifth-wheel hitch for me; even a one-front/two-rear trike.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I am not sure that continuing to call it a semi-truck is an accurate description.

I was refering to semi-trailers, not calling it a "semi-truck". Actually, unlike "semi-trailer" which does have an equivalent designation in my language, I never saw anybody quoting a tractor-truck as a "semi" truck.