Mercedes Creates Aerodynamic Semi-trailer
If you've ever stuck your hand out a car window whilst on the freeway, you know how readily the wind can push even the smallest of objects around. Now imagine if your hand was the size of a tractor trailer.
Yes, although they may be the backbone of the economy, they're a somewhat unfortunately shaped portion of that backbone. Requisitely large, they suffer terribly at the hands of aerodynamic resistance, and although all manner of solutions have been supplied by various manufacturers, we have yet to see one that's quite as attractive as this: the Mercedes aero trailer. With side skirts, a front air dam, a rear diffuser, and an awesome looking tapered rear section, it's reported to reduce aerodynamic drag by up to 18% when paired with the Mercedes Actros tractor, which Mercedes handily reports correlates to a savings of 2,000 litres of fuel per year for someone who averages 150,000 kilometres per year.
