Aeromod nissan leaf improved aerodynamics increased range

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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?

They are an option. Their primary purpose is to keep the wheels from throwing debris back onto the car and messing up the paint. I'd say the front ones do a poor job of that as they don't stick out enough, no idea how effective the back ones are. I've never gotten so much dirt and mud clearly thrown up from the front tires onto the side of my car, from any other car I've owned with front mudflaps. Clearly Nissan compromised for aerodynamics and/or styling.

So it is a trade off, risk more debris being thrown onto the side/undercarriage of the car for improved aerodynamics.
 
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
 
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

Yes, but those are very minor compared to the two major ones listed. It's not like an ICE vehicle where the
ICE component of inefficiency is very significant and as is its the trans/diff. An EV's drive-train efficiency
should be above 90%. The Leaf with its PM motor versus Tesla with its AC induction motor is even more efficient.
As 45-50 mph my Leaf is using about 15kW or about 20 HP. If one calculates the rolling/drag losses
at that speed range, most all the losses are attributable to those two factors.
 
lorenfb said:
Bob said:
lorenfb said:
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.
Yes, but those are very minor compared to the two major ones listed.
True, and another thing is that the average Leaf owner isn't going to be able to do much about electronics and motors..
But mudflaps are something that the owner could tweak. ;-)

It will be interesting to see if this pays off.

desiv
 
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....
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.

CytTE2n.jpg
 
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!
[youtube][/youtube]

Yes, pls update your location in your profile under User Control Panel.

Also, could you share what tires you are using and how many miles you have driven on them/current tread thickness vs original.

P.s. I don't have mud flaps on my car.
 
drees said:
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....
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.

CytTE2n.jpg
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.
 
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.
 
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 :)
 
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 :)

What's more, those components must be kept cool even in the heat of an Arizona summer. We never see temps like that in the Northeast. If it gets to 90, it's a hot day. It's the humidity that kills here, but the components don't care so much about that.

So I really wonder if the lack of airflow really matters even in a Northeast summer. Keep in mind also that if you really care about that extra 10% of range, you are probably already hypermiling. As a result, the motor/inverter are generating less heat to be dissipated.

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.
 
drees said:
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....
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.

Consider using LeafSpy which provides a power (kW/HP) consumption reading and monitoring it at
various constant speeds with and without the mod. Minimal efforts should be necessary for verification
or not, i.e. less than an hours driving to gather 10 data points (5 with & 5 without).
 
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 4%...
 
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%...

That sounds about what one might expect.
 
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.

The Japanese Prius has had thermostat-controlled grille shutters for years, I've read. This topic, along with the prospect of maybe two more Winters with my Leaf, has me thinking about a plexiglass grill block that would be inconspicuous...
 
How does blocking the front vents affect efficiency of the heat pump?
Also how did you make the flat wheel covers and attach them?
 
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