Mercedes-Benz 'Aero Trailer' Concept

[KillerHERTZ]

I normally wouldnt post these, but we have various lorry drivers on the forum, who maybe interested in this concept:

Mercedes-Benz 'Aero Trailer' Concept​

Mercedes-Benz truck division has created a new concept meant to improve the aerodynamics of long-haul trucks.
The "Aero Trailer" Concept comes with aerodynamic features that includes a front airdam, side trim panels and a rear diffuser. On the Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor there's also a tapered rear design that helps improve air flow.
Mercedes-Benz claims that a such a truck covering 150,000 km (93,200 miles) per year will save around 2,000 liters of diesel fuel (528 gallons) which translates into five tons of carbon dioxide that won't be emitted into the atmosphere.

 

[LTD]

Beautiful truck but the rear of that trailer is going to be wrecked within weeks in the real world.

The cost of replacing the lights would be astronomical and certainly wouldn't make any haulage bean-counters overly enthusiastic to buy them for the fleet.

 

[artyman]

Wow a lorry with a double diffuser

 

[tolly]

I personally dont see what is the point in makin the underbody of the trailer more aero dynamic when the front of the truck is still as anti-aero as ever. Suppose every little bit helps

 

[Dieselman]

A pretty poor show really and nothing more than a quick sketch.
How would the barn doors be opened to fold back onto the body for loading and the rest of it is just a bit of cladding.

Don Bur have been marketing Aero trailers for years. These are proper wind tunnel designed trailers showing positive results.
Teardrop2

As an aside after their initial tear-drop trailer with no underside cladding, Richard Owens joined the "nutcase" ecomodder forum to discus ideas. Seems to have paid off for teardrop2.

 

[holbay]

Aero trailers are all fine and good but when you put a slabfronted tractor unit on the front it is like walking into the wind with an 8x4 plywood sheet. Look at Kenworth and Freightliner they have nice sloping fronts which will allow air to flow more freely and must be more aerodynamic..George..

 

[Dieselman]

The drag of a shape, including a plywood board comes from the back, not the front.

A half sphere is more aerodynamic if the flat side is presented towards the front, not the rear.

Modern lorries have a lot of aerodynamic guides added to the front corners to assist and due to the long shape of the tractor unit and trailer the front isn't very important.