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Mercedes Aero Trailer Concept Increases Semi Fuel Efficiency

The automotive industry managed to start getting it right with aerodynamics decades ago, but, even though vehicles have been constantly evolving meanwhile, nobody has done anything for trailers. Just take a look at your average semi and you’ll realize that it still carries around nothing more than a huge box on wheels.
Mercedes Aero TrailerMercedes Aero TrailerMercedes Aero TrailerMercedes Aero Trailer
And no, leaving air to randomly flow across the body of a vehicle is definitely not the most efficient way of moving around, as Mercedes demonstrated with its latest development, the aero trailer.

We are talking about a streamlined designed trailer that comes with a front airdam, lateral panels, as well as a rear diffuser and a special design for the rear end.  According to Mercedes, all these elements manage to cut drag by around 18 percent and thus reduce fuel consumption by almost 5 percent.

The company estimated that a truck that travels 150,000 km (93,205 miles) per year could save 2,000 liters of diesel (528 gallons) and release 5 less tons of CO2 into the environment.

However, in order to offer the same loading area and come with the special rear end design, the trailer has to be extended a half-meter past the maximum length allowed by the current law. Mercedes is pretty confident that there is a solution for this, as certain trailers, such as those that use forklifts have been allowed to bend the rules over the years.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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