Aerodynamics, wild accessory idea, fun thought experiment.

[Allted]

When I have a lot of coffee and go for a drive, I can't help but think about efficiency of these trucks. Maybe some of you know some ballpark numbers of what this would improve in terms of efficiency at highway speeds.

Let's say you replaced the hood and gave up a lot of frunk space, but not all. The front grill becomes something like a standard ICE F150 grill, so it still looks normal, a flow channel through the frunk, and some pretty hood louvers to direct the air over the window. The largest flat area in front of the truck getting pushed down the highway at 70mph goes away.

I have the bed and a back seat area I don't really need all the frunk space (even though it is really nice). I would happily give it up for 10%+ more efficiency. If you did it right, it would not have to look odd. Or, imagine if it were foldable if you happened to need your entire frunk....

Did I have too much coffee, or is this feasible, or do I not understand aerodynamics at all? Sorry, I had to get this out of my head. I thought it might be a fun discussion.

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[fhteagle]

How the front divides the air matters. How it gets put back together behind the truck matters _way_ more.

Getting rid of the wing mirrors would be the fastest route to better aero, at the cost of legal compliance here in the states.

Take a look at what TELO trucks did with the Airshaper software a couple of years ago to get a few % improvement in efficiency. Very informative.

 

[Allted]

Interesting, that is crazy to hear. Wing mirrors would do more than swapping the flat grill. I did not pay enough attention to fluid dynamics, as you can tell.

Thanks for the insight; that should help me stop thinking about better efficiency on my drives.

 

[JIMINGA]

Use that creative energy and imagination regardless of caffeine intake!! It’s a gift from heaven for you to steward & share & perhaps make a living from. Appreciate your idea to improve aerodynamics!

 

[Allted]

HAHA, Thanks. One day I might have to just go grab a Monster or a couple of Red Bull, pull off the hood, and go for a drive to check.

 

[rockhead]

HAHA, Thanks. One day I might have to just go grab a Monster or a couple of Red Bull, pull off the hood, and go for a drive to check.

One word ... plyhood

 

[Zekester]

Interesting, that is crazy to hear. Wing mirrors would do more than swapping the flat grill.

The shed vortices of the air coming off of the edges create a substantial amount of drag. This is why you see the upturned wingtips on aircraft - it breaks up the shed vortices coming off the end of the wings, reducing drag and thus saving fuel.

 

[chl]

Really, to be sure about those ideas, you need a wind tunnel to test them.

If you look into what the Aptera folks did, they had a basic idea of what would reduce drag, and it did, but then they found other major and minor changes that reduced drag even more once they put their models in a wind tunnel.

One of the Aptera tests from Jan 2026:



The new Ford EV truck is supposed to have improved aerodynamics / drag coefficient reduction, but I haven't seen the numbers. No way it would be as efficient as the Aptera however.

 

[Mach Turtle]

It's probably worth having a look at this thread:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...-a-fastback-roof—did-we-get-more-range.17879/
...and another thread linked in that thread, for a discussion improvements which could (and theoretically should) improve range.

Although a wind tunnel is usually the best way to test aerodynamics, there's a lot that can be done by driving on a straight, quiet road with little or no wind blowing. Bits of yarn, smoke generators (ironic on an EV), pressure sensors, cameras on selfie sticks, etc. can give useful data.

 

[Effonefiddy Lightning]

When I have a lot of coffee and go for a drive, I can't help but think about efficiency of these trucks. Maybe some of you know some ballpark numbers of what this would improve in terms of efficiency at highway speeds.

Let's say you replaced the hood and gave up a lot of frunk space, but not all. The front grill becomes something like a standard ICE F150 grill, so it still looks normal, a flow channel through the frunk, and some pretty hood louvers to direct the air over the window. The largest flat area in front of the truck getting pushed down the highway at 70mph goes away.

I have the bed and a back seat area I don't really need all the frunk space (even though it is really nice). I would happily give it up for 10%+ more efficiency. If you did it right, it would not have to look odd. Or, imagine if it were foldable if you happened to need your entire frunk....

Did I have too much coffee, or is this feasible, or do I not understand aerodynamics at all? Sorry, I had to get this out of my head. I thought it might be a fun discussion.

I pondered this exact concept also. It would look cool too, especially if the truck was lowered.

 

[Lytning]

An improved aerodynamic version may already be available ...

 

[DavidS]

 

[tubby]

 

[Mal106]

Cool Tubby, looks like a Henry J. My grandad hit one in a 57 Ford and I broke the windshield with my head. Only time I saw my grandmother mad.

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