Cybertruck Slices the Air
An independent study of the Tesla Cybertruck’s aerodynamics showed more than just some fun visuals when the results came in - apparently all those sharp edges actually help.
Many of us have a limited understanding of aerodynamics - it’s not like it was taught in any depth at school - but usually we’re all pretty aware that lots for flat surfaces is bad for fuel efficiency; as air tends to push better against a flat surface than a curved one. Add to that, we’re all generally aware that sharp edges tend to break up an air-wave, and can lead to some other issues that can increase drag on a vehicle (this is usually referred to as “detachment”).
Well, according to the engineer who ran the Cybertruck through his company’s simulation software, these issues are smartly dealt with in the truck’s design.
“Contrary to what many people would think, the sharp edge of the roof does not produce a big detachment! It is true that the flow it is not attached, but in fact the air follows down the slope quite seamlessly. The boundary layer does not substantially grow. This is quite remarkable and a big aerodynamic advantage compared to other pick-up trucks. Moreover, the diffuser makes a substantial effect in the center of the vehicle’s rear-end! It creates suction and reduces the wake.”
Now, of course, there are some parts that do cause some aerodynamic issues. Aleix goes on to point out some areas where the vehicle's sharp angles cause more turbulence. But aside from the fact that Numeric Systems doesn’t have the final geometry of the Cybertruck yet, this is still a pretty good result. And it means Tesla can attempt to solve those issues before finalising the design.
CEO Elon Musk believes Tesla engineers can get the final Coefficient of Drag - the measurement of just how easily the vehicle cuts through the air - down to just 0.3, which is very impressive for a pickup truck.
We probably should have trusted that Tesla’s engineers would be able to make this design work, given all their past success; but it was just so hard to think that the boxy Cybertruck was going to be aerodynamically efficient. Well, we got proven wrong, learned something new about how aerodynamics works, and got some cool new images to boot. An absolute win.