'Tesla Model 3 Highland aero tweaking'
 

Tesla is refreshing the Model 3, and photos reveal some aero enhancements that Franz Von Holzhausen and associates have performed, especially stretching the roofline rearwards ( one of Hoerner's aero tricks ) to finesse the pressure gradient which has relied so much on the rear spoiler.
If the link works, it'll get you started

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/t...ad-219417.html

I wish they'd get rid of the glass roof and make a proper hatch. The car could be way more utilitarian then.

Hopefully the reduced cost will push down the cost of used Teslas.

Sadly, I'm still probably looking at a minivan for my next vehicle.

i love how tesla makes the market more competitive when it comes to aerodynamics

wonder why they are getting rid of the air curtains?

Link did nothing for me. IIRC privacy pop-up. But it sounds like the new New Beetle, when they abandoned the concept's short roof for a more fastback line.

www.inferse.com/: Exclusive: Tesla's Model 3, Project Highland Exposed: What's … – Not a Tesla App

New headlights, maybe that's the air curtain source. Three new cameras, no outside temp. I suspect the big thing is the diecast front and rear sections.

The new model from Mexico will be less than $25K. That will reallly put the squeeze on Arcimoto.

The squeeze has always been on Arci, which was my initial criticism.

'air curtains'
 

One image of the black Model 3's front fascia is so dark that I cannot discern whether or not the outboard inlets are there or not.

Energy efficiency is 8% better (12% mentioned somewhere)
new drag coefficient 0,219
was 0,225
Thats only ~2,6% better.

So most of improvements comes from tires and rolling resistance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ6zIHHMlSs

See. No more air curtains

Else they are integrated into that central scoop (that reminds me of the Studebaker Avanti).

'no more'
 

Are we sure?
The single, central grille opening would be lower drag than a grille opening, plus side inlets. That's 2013, C6-R, Corvette Racing Team technology.
And the single inlet can be internally branched and ducted for battery cooling, air conditioning, plus split to each side for air curtains, AND it would be sourced with higher static pressure than originally found on the sides of the fascia. Also 2013 GM aero technology!

Julian Edgar said the new Tesla doesn’t have air curtains before the sides are optimized to the point where it doesn’t need air curtains. He just made a comment about the new shape

Somewhere was said its 20mm lower, but haven't found proof of that. As specs are more rumours than clear data sheet.

I haven't seen inside front wheel wells to verify is there outlet or not. To cut parts and processes they might be behind the bumber...

'Julian'
 

He may be correct.
There's an Indian website which claims that the Highland does have them.
I can't find an image from behind the car looking forwards, where we might get a glimpse of any front fascia, trailing-edge-to- wheelhouse ducting which would inform us.

Today had a Gigafactory Berlin factory tour and there was new model 3 higland there on the yard

Air curtains are still there ;)

Behind the bumber and air inlet at the front bumber air intake hole corners

https://youtu.be/y5FSD3wxUdg?si=mUDzkXkjhPzwPMtm

I took one frame and visually enhanced to show the air curtain vent:
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1701533223
Thanks to @Vekke who made the video that included this frame.

I found one paper about air curtains:

Citation: Ferraris, A., Pinheiro, H., Airale, A., Carello, M. et al., "City Car Drag Reduction by means of Flow Control Devices," SAE Technical Paper 2020-36-0080, 2021, https://doi.org/10.4271/2020-36-0080.
Download Citation

At $35, I'm not sure I want to buy it.

I did find these YouTube videos that offers insights:
https://youtu.be/ptNnbB7R3SE?si=d9cApYGAvqu-_aSZ

https://youtu.be/mXh2zG4fpb0?si=TIJ22Cei9bNrHdh8

Do you have a concern with wheel well, air curtains?

The reason I ask is I bought a polyethylene piece to block for the front air curtain inlets on my Model 3. My primary plan is to make a conformal cover for the slot outside of the front air inlet. I had also thought about testing blocking of the air curtain slots. But my wheel covers significantly reduce the amount of air leaking in/out of the spokes.

Guess I need to do some tuff testing.

Bob Wilson

Very interesting. I wonder how those style air curtains are better than the old ones

Found:

Modifying the Aerodynamics of Your Road Car (SpeedPro series) Kindle Edition
by Julian Edgar

Nice read with a collection of SAE and other professional papers and experiments from his career. The Kindle version is quite readable but dog earring the pages ... still working on that.

It is helping me prioritize my next Tesla tuning efforts.

Bob Wilson

Some interesting engineering facts about the new tesla model 3 in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RewrTJqc0wU

' how better '
 

There's two things going on with the 'Highland.'
1) Having a single inlet is an aerodynamic advantage in it's own right.
2) And harvesting all the air, right at the forward stagnation point, allows a higher static pressure at the inlet, compared to the sides of the nose, where the air is already accelerated.
Professor Alberto Morelli spent a small fortune on this kind of research at Pininfarina's wind tunnel in 1976-1978, for the Cd 0.203, CNR, PF-1 research concept.
The Chevrolet Corvette racing team has also found it to be an aerodynamic advantage for both drag, and thermal management.

And when active grill block is closed in normal driving all the pressure goes to those air curtains.

3. also the outside flow is not interrupted by vent inlets shapes, which helps little as well.

https://youtu.be/iueGI4CzP-0?si=y5drYAcid-PYgSpY

Official drag is .219 which is nice

' Cd 0.219 '
 

It doesn't compare to the 1947 V2 Saggita, Kdf Wagen, Type 60, by Fachsenfeld as far as aerodynamic body efficiency goes, but it does allow for more usable interior volume.

For some "reason" new model 3 performance has brought back the older looking air curtain style.

https://youtu.be/SsI8i1nfahs?si=0VQTF7BXWNPPngSc&t=152

So my estimate is that the new style from center inlet is just cheaper to make on the base model 3.

The air curtains on the new model 3 actually look pretty good. Did they say what the drag coefficient is for the performance version? They mentioned better front splitter and rear diffuser too. I’m assuming the spoiler adds a little drag for better Downforce though

' rear spoiler '
 

From the blueprint, it's likely that the spoiler is still trying to reach the reversal point ( 3.15-inches above the deck ), ending separation-induced lift, rather than create direct downforce.