F-150 aerodynamics modeling

[RidetheLightning]

If I had a little more money and a little more need for highway range, I would consider the Aero-X cap. It would also have the benefit of making the Lightning an amazing, secure cargo hauler - you’d have the frunk, the extended cab, and this ”secure” aero bed cover to give you some storage in the bed that wasn’t wide open but still gave you a range benefit. But I didn’t come here just for that, more to take the conversation to the next level of aero geekery. (there are many) If I had a little more time on my hands and more metal fab skill, and I didn’t mind looking like a real aero geek, I would wrap a frame around a bed extender, open the tailgate, and have this hanging out the back and matching the profile of the Aero-X cover for highway trips: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...2&pd_rd_w=YGTEb&pd_rd_wg=Afm7D&ref_=pd_gw_unk

The other thing about the Aero-X cover is that if you had a hoist in your garage or a lifting hook in front of the garage and some way to take the cover on and off easily, (don’t know if the Aero-X has eye hooks or anything for removal) you could remove it when you wanted a normal looking truck and put it back on for road trips.

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[mkinttrim]

Just ordered a ARE topper, that thing looks like something Joe Dirt would buy.

 

[Blainestang]

Just ordered a ARE topper, that thing looks like something Joe Dirt would buy.

Ha, yeah, the louvers are very much an 80's Camaro vibe.

 

[Whoosh]

Great to see how huge the advantage is from the "fastback" bed cover.

I was hoping someone would make one that is a "fastback" when driving, but then the top hinges/pops up to horizontal for camping. Then you could put a tent on top another bed or stuff in the bed.

You could have 4 people camp and avoid the huge range hit of a trailer.

is something like this what you have in mind?
https://www.amazon.com/Napier-Enterprises-Sportz-Regular-Trucks/dp/B005DAV5QA

 

[casanewt]

F-150 Aerodynamics Study

I found this simulation study rather interesting. Pretty obvious conclusions, but still interesting to me.

https://airshaper.com/videos/ford-f150-aerodynamics-how-to-add-more-than-10-range/E0ass_AxloM

 

[casanewt]

Their Rivian R1T video is interesting as well.

 

[bmwhitetx]

Cool video.
Summary is all the mods would increase range 12.5%.
Below are the specific drag reductions at 30 m/s (67 mph)
(Rear cover is triangular like CT. Wheel covers were Tesla wheels stretched.)
I wonder what a simple tonneau would do (offset by additional weight)

Also I see in Similar Threads this same video was posted by @sotek2345 almost 2 years ago. Lots of comments there. Combined

 

[casanewt]

Cool video.
Summary is all the mods would increase range 12.5%.
Below are the specific drag reductions at 30 m/s (67 mph)
(Rear cover is triangular like CT. Wheel covers were Tesla wheels stretched.)
I wonder what a simple tonneau would do (offset by additional weight)

Also I see in Similar Threads this same video was posted by @sotek2345 almost 2 years ago. Lots of comments there.

Someone in the comments of the video asked about a standard tonneau cover, and they said they have studied that and it only had a 4% improvement. They also said that a roof spoiler might help, like the Rivian has.

 

[KevinC]

I wonder if people are ready to get rid of sideview mirrors. We certainly have the technology to do it at this point, but it also becomes one more expensive thing to break if switched to cameras. I was wondering if the cybertruck even has a rearview mirror given its sloped back cover.

 

[casanewt]

I wonder if people are ready to get rid of sideview mirrors. We certainly have the technology to do it at this point, but it also becomes one more expensive thing to break if switched to cameras. I was wondering if the cybertruck even has a rearview mirror given its sloped back cover.

It is already happening in Europe, but the US still mandates actual mirrors. If you look at the Ioniq 5 and the Honda E, they are set up for either no mirrors or very small camera stalks and screens inside on the doors.

 

[LancerBoom]

I wonder if people are ready to get rid of sideview mirrors. We certainly have the technology to do it at this point, but it also becomes one more expensive thing to break if switched to cameras. I was wondering if the cybertruck even has a rearview mirror given its sloped back cover.

My wife's 2023 Traverse has the HD Vision which includes the rearview mirror that you can toggle between the actual mirror or an embedded screen showing the rear camera. The camera view is nice since its from the rear of the vehicle so no blockage by passengers or if your back area is full or weather is making it hard to see out rear window. You can also zoom in or out to a wider angle which is nice to see more of what's behind you. However, adjusting zoom changes your perception of depth.

My biggest problem is your focal length is the same in a rear view mirror, which is long distance, just like looking out the front window so you can quickly glance at the mirror and back to the road. However, in the camera mode, your focal length is near distance - the screen which is 18 inches away. So for us with older eyes that need bifocals, it's hard to quickly look in the rear view mirror in camera mode without taking a couple seconds to adjust. Also, the motion isn't as smooth as a true mirror. At night in low light levels the camera mode resolution is poor. The red tail lights of a car you just met quickly disappear into the black. Car headlights approaching behind you are more blurry and harder to judge distance.

So I think I'll stick with true mirrors. The camera screen built into the mirror is a nice option but I don't see it as a full replacement with today's technology.

 

[ctuan13]

I wonder if people are ready to get rid of sideview mirrors. We certainly have the technology to do it at this point, but it also becomes one more expensive thing to break if switched to cameras. I was wondering if the cybertruck even has a rearview mirror given its sloped back cover.

Maybe I'm a boomer in this regard despite being much younger, but I almost always rely on my mirrors and rearward visibility. This has been true of every vehicle I've owned. (To be fair none before my Lightning have had cameras) But even so, I only ever glance at my camera display if it's something I can't physically see, say for example something 2 feet in front of my bumper on the ground. But backing up, parking and navigating, I'm using my eyes out the glass or looking at mirrors.

I can't stand the argument "Well I know the visibility of (insert vehicle) is awful, but you have a '5D Chess 720° Super-ultra Mega IRL VR AR Adaptive SuperSafe BootyGuard™ Camera System' so it's fine."

No. It's not. It's not fine and I refuse to pretend it is. Stop making excuses for vehicles that are fundamentally more difficult to drive and less safe, because of poor visibility.

I mean today's prosthetics are pretty damn impressive, but if Bob gets his leg blown off, gets surgery and then fitted with a prosthetic, would you say that it's "just as good" or that it "doesn't matter", just because he can still walk to the store? No. So stop saying that terrible vehicle designs are "okay".

And I'm an equal opportunity hater when it comes to this, this applies to everything from pickups with unnecessarily tall hoods and crossovers and new EVs that think that modern means turning the rear windshield into an ornamental piece of glass and the head unit into a required piece of hardware for basic safe operation of the vehicle.

Sorry, rant over lol

All that's to say, I'm perfectly happy with mirrors and even if the laws changed, I'd still personally want mirrors, and on a vehicle like the F150 I think even if they weren't required in the future, they should always remain an option.

 

[MickeyAO]

As an old fart, I loved the digital rearview in the Sierra Denali I traded in for my Lightning (and to be honest, I miss the better camera system and the heads up display)

One neat thing with the digital rearview is you can turn the 'mirror' to any position you want...everyone riding in my truck could clearly see what was behind us.

Yes, it took a little bit of training to focus on the surface of the mirror instead of into a real rearview mirror...which I had to untrain for the Lightning.

 

[MRButtler]

Fastback, go buy a suv or get a camper top. Grill shutters will mostly be closed during highway speed, it created a air buffer in front of the vehicle.

Also Active Air Dam, aka the bird grinder

 

[mr.Magoo]

I found this simulation study rather interesting. Pretty obvious conclusions, but still interesting to me.

Isn't this the same video as OP posted 2yrs ago, or what am I missing?

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