Can the Tesla Cybertruck Drag Coefficient Really Be Just 0.34?
Computational fluid dynamics expert and AirShaper CEO says, yeah. Here’s how.
When we first saw the original Tesla Cybertruck, we quickly questioned the aerodynamics of its origami wedge shape. That pointy roof looked like a sure-fire turbulence generator, and turbulent flow is anathema to slick aerodynamics. And rule number one of EVs is to make them as slippery as possible, because reducing aerodynamic drag can be the cheapest way to extend an electric vehicle's range.
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A digital model of that original Cybertruck concept quickly became available on the internet, and the Belgian firm AirShaper, which provides software that greatly eases the task of conducting computational fluid dynamics studies of various shapes in various mediums, decided to compute its drag coefficient.
Their findings suggested a drag coefficient of 0.43. So as soon as he heard Musk claim the production model's Cd had fallen to just 0.34, AirShaper CEO Wouter Remmerie and his team started scrutinizing all the photos and video of the finished product to see if they could spot enough improvements to possibly account for such a dramatic change in drag coefficient.
Check out this video, in which Remmerie points to and describes the myriad small revisions that may or may not make this bold claim plausible.
Some, like that windshield wiper, may surprise you.
I started critiquing cars at age 5 by bumming rides home from church in other parishioners’ new cars. At 16 I started running parts for an Oldsmobile dealership and got hooked on the car biz. Engineering seemed the best way to make a living in it, so with two mechanical engineering degrees I joined Chrysler to work on the Neon, LH cars, and 2nd-gen minivans. Then a friend mentioned an opening for a technical editor at another car magazine, and I did the car-biz equivalent of running off to join the circus. I loved that job too until the phone rang again with what turned out to be an even better opportunity with Motor Trend. It’s nearly impossible to imagine an even better job, but I still answer the phone…
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