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Another way of analyzing the aerodynamics is to look at pressure on the surface of the
object. A flat plate positioned perpendicular to the wind will typically cause a lot of pressure
build-up. The same goes for a boxy truck, with a large frontal face trying to push away all the
air at once. The images below show this pressure pattern for both trucks. It is clear that the
swept back profile and the tapered shape (in top view) of the Tesla Semi cabin do a great job
at reducing the pressure build-up. Perfectly aligning the cabin with the trailer (note the top
corners!) also helps a great deal.
The tricks Tesla pulled do not stop there: the trailer was pulled as close as possible to the
truck to reduces the gap between both, avoiding large turbulence zones. The truck’s rear
wheels were shielded to reduce air disturbance, around the wheels but also further
downstream. Even the wheel caps are slick & flat!
So, do we believe the figures stated by Tesla? Until we receive a fully detailed 3D model
from Mr. Elon Musk it remains impossible to provide a final conclusion, but all indicates that
they have indeed pulled it off. We hope that by providing automated simulations &
visualizations through our AirShaper platform, we can enable other designers & engineers to
optimize the aerodynamics of their truck, bus, drone etc. to reduce emissions and increase
range & top speed!
To download the reports of both trucks:
www.airshaper.com/reports/truck.pdf
www.airshaper.com/reports/tesla_semi.pdf
Bibliography
AirShaper. (n.d.). Online aerodynamics platform. Retrieved from https://www.airshaper.com
EU. (n.d.). Reducing CO2 emissions from Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Retrieved from
https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/transport/vehicles/heavy_en