Mileage with Tonneau?

[knot_another_won]

Just wondering if anyone has put a tonneau on their Lightning yet and been able to get a sense if there is any noticeable difference in the miles/kW with vs/ without? I know that the vast majority of the F-150 (Lightning or otherwise) aerodynamic shortcomings are primarily related to it's boxy nature. However, given that even little changes in aerodynamics can have noticeable affects on the mileage of an EV, I was just wondering if anyone has had a chance to look at what kind of impact a tonneau might make (if any). I'm planning to put one on after I get mine so I was just curious. TIA, all!

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[RickLightning]

Tonneau cover saves a very, very small amount of fuel. In the order of 3.6%. Never pays off.

https://tonneaucoverguide.com/do-tonneau-covers-save-gas-mythbusters/

 

[vandy1981]

Tonneau cover saves a very, very small amount of fuel. In the order of 3.6%. Never pays off.

https://tonneaucoverguide.com/do-tonneau-covers-save-gas-mythbusters/

That would be around 8-10 miles in the ER. Those extra miles can be critical if you're trying to make it to the next charger.

 

[FlasherZ]

I remember the "cargo net" tailgate replacements of the 1980's that were supposed to improve mileage by allowing air pass-through. Same experience - fuel savings weren't really there in any measurable form, but it was a plus if the modification brought you convenience. MythBusters did a study on this too, I believe.

 

[RickLightning]

That would be around 8-10 miles in the ER. Those extra miles can be critical if you're trying to make it to the next charger.

If you're really poor at planning.

Between the Ford Navigation and ABRP, if you only have 8-10 miles of range left you're not planning very well. Has that happened to me with my Mach-E? Sure, even slowed to 55 for 20 minutes last month to make a charger, but I knew in advance it would likely be needed.

Buying a tonneau for the sake of 8-10 miles of range is a bad investment.

 

[vandy1981]

Between the Ford Navigation and ABRP, if you only have 8-10 miles of range left you're not planning very well. Has that happened to me with my Mach-E? Sure, even slowed to 55 for 20 minutes last month to make a charger, but I knew in advance it would likely be needed.

I think your statement confirms that an extra 10 miles is meaningful under some circumstances.

These situations happen if you road trip enough, even with the best of planning.

 

[LightningShow]

Tonneau cover saves a very, very small amount of fuel. In the order of 3.6%. Never pays off.

https://tonneaucoverguide.com/do-tonneau-covers-save-gas-mythbusters/

3.6% is a nice improvement for something that most people would do for utility in any case, so it’s really free efficiency. Most other efficiency gains will cost money but not add any utility.

 

[duncanmaio]

I put one on after about a week of driving. if there was any difference, it was less than 0.1 m/kw. I use it to keep things dry in the bed and to prevent loose stuff from blowing out.

 

[Blue Lightning]

I put one on after about a week of driving. if there was any difference, it was less than 0.1 m/kw. I use it to keep things dry in the bed and to prevent loose stuff from blowing out.

Well yeah, 8-10 miles of added range (on a full charge) would equate to about .067 m/kw.

 

[webspoke]

At least it does not hurt the mileage. I have had good utility with the roll up fabric covers, good privacy and roll up very nicely out of the way when full bed access is needed. I could use the few miles of range for more aggressive tires

 

[Firestop]

Just wondering if anyone has put a tonneau on their Lightning yet and been able to get a sense if there is any noticeable difference in the miles/kW with vs/ without? I know that the vast majority of the F-150 (Lightning or otherwise) aerodynamic shortcomings are primarily related to it's boxy nature. However, given that even little changes in aerodynamics can have noticeable affects on the mileage of an EV, I was just wondering if anyone has had a chance to look at what kind of impact a tonneau might make (if any). I'm planning to put one on after I get mine so I was just curious. TIA, all!

FYI, this was discussed on a previous thread (https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/lowering-drag-coefficient-by-14-8.10562/).

My take at the time was any benefit of range (miles) extension on a trip by trip basis was minimal….~4.5-5 miles.……over a year to years total energy usage….Yes

Now, ~5.0 miles of range improvement per full charge trip could make a difference in a pinch, but I would plan my trips better and wouldn’t bet my life on it! My plan is to cover to protect what I’m hauling from prying eyes, weather, and from lifting out and creating a road hazard/killing someone.

My thoughts from that thread follow, to which I welcome further discussion

Interesting. So after digesting the video and the written Study, am I safe to take away that after installing a flat bedcover alone, we’ll see ~4-6% reduction in drag depending on the model vs an actual test; and, that reduction in drag will translate to ~1.4-1.8% in “fuel” efficiency?

If so, that tells me adding a flat cover on the Lightning isn’t really going to have much of a range impact on an individual trip (~4.5-5 miles). Getting a cover is really about “protecting“ the cargo in the bed…which I’m ok with…. Use of a bed cover will save you “fuel” over time (life of ownership…and thus, save money), but is negligible in helping extend your range on any individual trip……

My take away is based on the following, if I’m getting it correct:

Looking at the Air Shaper video on YouTube, and reading the viewer comments, a viewer asked Air Shaper the question about the efficiency effect of installing a flat bed cover. Air Shaper responded that they ran their model (2021 F-150) using that scenario and it yielded a 4% drag reduction.

The Agricover PDF notes they tested a 2006 F-150 5.5 bed with a flat cover in a wind tunnel and observed a 5.7% drag reduction. The paper further noted this drag reduction would yield ~1.8% increase in fuel efficiency based on the estimated 3% increase with a 10% drag reduction.

Both testers noted truck travel speed changes had a negligible impact on changes in the measured drag on their F-150 “tests”.

Thoughts?

 

[LightningShow]

When i get my truck i plan to do a relatively controlled range test before and after tonneau. I definitely very curious about this.

 

[Firestop]

When i get my truck i plan to do a relatively controlled range test before and after tonneau. I definitely very curious about this.

Me too….my analytical side is just curious…..

 

[It's Just Me]

I won't have time to let you know. It's one of the next purchases for the truck when it arrives in the next week or two (already have a box of stuff to put on her when she gets home.)

But I want a tonneau for a few different reasons, none of which involve range/economy.

1) I don't want my truck's bed to be a convenient trashcan for other people

2) I am not driving my truck around in the winter with a bed full of snow and ice that will begin flying around said bed as it thaws and melts.

3) I like the look of most of them.

I have owned 3 pickups, with the Lightning becoming my fourth soon. All have had/will have tonneau covers. I've found much utility with them, and doubt that I would have a truck without one.

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