Beating the air
Page 37

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According to Mercedes-Benz, 35-40 per cent of the fuel bill of a lorry and trailer travelling at a constant 50mph on level ground is incurred purely in carving a passage through the air. Anything that reduces wind resistance is putting money in the operator's pocket.
Mercedes-Benz claims that its so-called New Generation Cab with its smooth contours, yields fuel savings of 2-6 per cent compared with an angular structure. When an air deflector specially designed for the job is fitted to the New Generation Cab on a long-distance vehicle with a high body on load, the extra cost is claimed to be recovered in much less than a year.
With the world need to conserve energy, anything that promises economy at reasonable cost is worth trying.