2015 Ford F-150 'Air Curtain' Cuts Aerodynamic Drag - Green Car Reports
The 2015 Ford F-150 arrived last year with a greater focus on fuel economy than any previous generation of the best-selling full-size pickup truck. DON'T MISS: 2015 Pickup Truck Fuel Economy: Ford Vs Ram Vs Chevy, Who's Best. (Nov 2014). The company also paid attention to the aerodynamic performance of the F-150, including the addition of "air curtains" that Ford says help to smooth out airflow over the huge truck. They are horizontal slots underneath the headlights that channel air through ducting in the wheel wells. First introduced on the 2015 Ford Mustang sports coupe and convertible, the system is meant to reduce the drag created by spinning wheels. The most direct way to deal with this drag would be to enclose the wheels in skirts, Ford says. ALSO SEE: 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Adds Grille Shutters To Cut Wind Drag (Feb 2014). Instead, the below-headlight cutouts and wheel-well ducts are used to produce a "wall of high-speed air" that provides roughly the same effect, according to Ford. Source: www.greencarreports.com
