mbender
Well-known member
Boy, if this turns out to be even "only" 10%, Nissan's face should be red. 20, and they should hide it!
Slow1 said:So, are the mud flaps just for show or will we end up tossing a lot of mud and creating a mess and/or hazard by trying this?
lorenfb said:...Remember there are basically two components to energy loss:
Energy Loss = Rolling Resistance Loss + Drag Resistance Loss...
Bob said:lorenfb said:...Remember there are basically two components to energy loss:
Energy Loss = Rolling Resistance Loss + Drag Resistance Loss...
You're ignoring electrical losses in the drive electronics + motor and the mechanical losses in the gearbox.
Bob
True, and another thing is that the average Leaf owner isn't going to be able to do much about electronics and motors..lorenfb said:Yes, but those are very minor compared to the two major ones listed.Bob said:You're ignoring electrical losses in the drive electronics + motor and the mechanical losses in the gearbox.lorenfb said:Energy Loss = Rolling Resistance Loss + Drag Resistance Loss...
The results here seem too good to believe, but easy to try so I whipped up a quick chloroplast grill block using an old yard sign and some zip ties. Probably not quite as effective as Brenthasty's because I left the grill block flush with the mesh grill and it doesn't quite cover as much grill (the gaps are more even than the pic looks as I didn't take the pic head on - my license plate is already mounted like his in front the grill), but I should be able to tell if there's a noticeable difference after a few days of driving. If not, I'll make my grill flush with the bumper and check again.Slow1 said:So there were two things done - one was the mud flaps and the other blocking off the grill? Mudflaps seem to be a significant commitment - perhaps just dong the grill would make a difference and is worth trying. That seems to be a (reversible) change that even simple folks like myself could do....
Brenthasty said:Well the results are in, almost a full 1 mile more per KWH in my Nissan Leaf. Up from an average of 3.9 to 4.8 M/Kwh.
This was achieved by deleting the mud flaps, flipping the mudflaps from side to side and reattaching them in front of the wheels to aeromod and deflect the wind off the cheek of the tires. Along with a partial grille block and licence plate relocation. We placed the licence over the inlet left in the aerodynamic grill block, this serves to shed the wind more cleanly and block direct entrance of particles, bugs, rain ect directly into the grill and radiators. We run the tires at full sidewall pressure 45psi.
These simple improvements to the aerodynamics of the nissan leaf have added 20% in efficiency and range!
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My grill block is made from shaved 2" foam and fills the grill space to flush with the bumper face, a bit smoother than the thin chloroplast.drees said:The results here seem too good to believe, but easy to try so I whipped up a quick chloroplast grill block using an old yard sign and some zip ties. Probably not quite as effective as Brenthasty's because I left the grill block flush with the mesh grill and it doesn't quite cover as much grill (the gaps are more even than the pic looks as I didn't take the pic head on - my license plate is already mounted like his in front the grill), but I should be able to tell if there's a noticeable difference after a few days of driving. If not, I'll make my grill flush with the bumper and check again.Slow1 said:So there were two things done - one was the mud flaps and the other blocking off the grill? Mudflaps seem to be a significant commitment - perhaps just dong the grill would make a difference and is worth trying. That seems to be a (reversible) change that even simple folks like myself could do....
kovalb said:That grill opening was put there for a reason. The radiator cools the motor, inverter, and charger. The condenser/evaporator is needed for the A/C and heat pump. Air needs to flow through them to function. Just saying.
Slow1 said:kovalb said:That grill opening was put there for a reason. The radiator cools the motor, inverter, and charger. The condenser/evaporator is needed for the A/C and heat pump. Air needs to flow through them to function. Just saying.
I tend to agree - however I wonder if it is as necessary when it is well below freezing outside and I'm suffering range loss due to the cold. How much can these parts heat up in the 50-60 miles I can manage to drive before a charge when it is this cold? (Was about zero this morning when I took kids to school)
Assuming that covering these can get me 10% additional range, it would be worth it to me to insert/remove based on outdoor temps. Perhaps take my winter range from 60 to 66 miles which could make a difference on some days...
I miss summer for so many reasons right now
drees said:The results here seem too good to believe, but easy to try so I whipped up a quick chloroplast grill block using an old yard sign and some zip ties. Probably not quite as effective as Brenthasty's because I left the grill block flush with the mesh grill and it doesn't quite cover as much grill (the gaps are more even than the pic looks as I didn't take the pic head on - my license plate is already mounted like his in front the grill), but I should be able to tell if there's a noticeable difference after a few days of driving. If not, I'll make my grill flush with the bumper and check again.Slow1 said:So there were two things done - one was the mud flaps and the other blocking off the grill? Mudflaps seem to be a significant commitment - perhaps just dong the grill would make a difference and is worth trying. That seems to be a (reversible) change that even simple folks like myself could do....
TomT said:Ford published statistics on the fuel efficiency improvement that came about from the shutterstats that they incorporated in to some of their vehicles... When they were completely closed, blocking off the grill entirely, the efficiency improvement was approximately 5%...
Ultimately, I hope that these companies get wise to active airflow control. Shutter off the grill when it's not needed. Let the car decide based on putting sensors in the right places.
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