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Re:Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2... by alecst on Thursday February 03, 2022 @11:24AM (#30194410)
Ok wow, that last point really fascinated me:

> most cars are more aerodynamic in reverse than they are going forwards

I tried to find more about it, but I could only find two sources. The first was a Mythbusters episode about a particular Porsche, and the second was a Top Gear episode about a different car. Can you point me to an article that substantiates this?

Re:Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2... by dboreham on Thursday February 03, 2022 @11:29AM (#30194494)
Re:Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2... by throwaway0a5e on Thursday February 03, 2022 @11:50AM (#30194839)
He's BSing or just ill informed.

If you taper properly before the flat cutoff a squared off back (Honda insight is the quintessential example) is fine because the real turbulence happens a few feet behind the vehicle. At speed a blunt (even if it's rounded) nose just isn't great no matter how you cut it but with careful attention to corners, shape transitions and whatnot you can mitigate that quite a lot (modern crossovers with their bulbous front bodywork make heavy use of this).

This is a subject with a million gotcha's that add up to a lot. Be weary of anyone peddling rule of thumb solutions.

Re:Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2... by HPsquared on Thursday February 03, 2022 @12:32PM (#30195564)
Okay, perhaps I over-generalized somewhat. If one was to exclude the little details and edges, intended to optimize the airflow in the forwards direction, I contend that most cars would be more aerodynamic in reverse due to their general shape.

Here's one data point, merely removing the rear spoiler an SUV has the same drag in reverse as it does going forwards: https://airshaper.com/blog/mercedes-eqc-drag-coefficient

If the same car had the fine details massaged for the reverse direction in a similar way to how they had already been done for going forwards (i.e. instead of the rear spoiler, putting a similar spoiler facing the opposite direction at the front of the car), the Cd would be significantly less in reverse.

Re:Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2... by h2odragon on Thursday February 03, 2022 @03:33PM (#30198395)
I drove an early Honda Insight with and without the rear wheel baffles; it was really interesting how you could feel the difference in the drag. Little car had hands on its hips holding it back, without the skirts.

I'd love to get it running again but cant find decent instructions for swapping the battery system out for a normal alternator and battery.