Save 5% to 10% on fuel expenses
Aerodynamic research at the Delft University of Technology reveals that the underside of a trailer creates a huge aerodynamic drag, resulting in high fuel consumption. The engineers of Ephicas have applied their aerospace knowledge to existing side skirts in order to develop the Ephicas SideWing. The result: a maximized economic, ecological and safety solution for tractor-trailer combinations.
The Ephicas SideWing captures the airflow at the lower end of the tractor and guides it all the way towards the tail end of the trailer along the rotating wheels.
By equipping trailers with Ephicas SideWings, drivers will save 5% to 10% on fuel expenses when travelling at highway speeds. Annual savings on fuel will be € 2000 to € 6000 per trailer, depending on mileage, fuel prices and other factors.
How much would you save?
*) Calculation is based on a fuel consumption decrease of 9%.
Patented aerodynamics
The technology is protected by a worldwide patent. The difference between the Ephicas SideWing and existing solutions is the Wing technology: an aerodynamic shaped volume is integrated at the front edge of the side panel.
Tested to the max
The shape of the Ephicas SideWing was designed in the wind tunnel at the TU Delft. During an intensive research period, CFD analyses were made and more than 100 different configurations of aerodynamic add-ons were tested. The wind tunnel tests revealed a phenomenal drag reduction of 18%. The accomplished drag reduction easily doubles the performance of all existing side skirts.
A full-scale prototype was built to test the SideWings out on the road. Three different road tests were conducted in close cooperation with the Platform for Aerodynamic Road Transport (PART). These tests resulted in a fuel economy of at least 5% with tail winds, while a fuel economy of a maximum 15% was realized with heavy side winds. The operational tests resulted in an average fuel saving of over 9%.
Download the test report
Download the test report by TU Delft
and PART.
Download the Commercial Motor Article by MIRA.