Tesla Cybertruck is still making headlines following its glorious and inglorious unveiling last week. Several sites earlier reported that the aerodynamics of the all-electric pickup is far better than its angular, futuristic, and out of this world design. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the figures and said that the Cybertruck could get a drag coefficient (Cd) of as low as .3, which is impressive for a pickup truck.
Aerospace Engineer Justin Martin recently shared the CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modeling of the Tesla Cybertruck. While his modeling was not complete considering he ignored the fenders and did not model the wheels, it somehow got the basic proportions of the truck correctly. Interesting Engineering recently shared an article, which Elon Musk reacted and suggested that the Tesla Cybertruck could reach a Cd of .3 with extreme engineering effort.
While the drag coefficient of the vehicle is not that essential to some owners, it helps us understand the total drag force that the vehicle releases when the Cd is multiplied by the frontal area of the vehicle. The result gives us the total number of force acting against the forward motion, which is equivalent to the amount of energy aerodynamically lost. With the Cd or .3, the aerodynamics of Tesla Cybertruck is similar to most sports cars and some minivans.
With extreme effort, Cybertruck might hit a 0.30 drag coefficient, which would be insane for a truck. Requires tweaking many small details. https://t.co/IMLJbsInmq — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 1, 2019
Volkswagen Westfalia Camper has a Cd of .51 while the Hummer H2 has a Cd of.57. Efficient cars such as the Honda Civic ranges between .30 and .29 Cd relative to the year and model. Sports cars like the NSX and Corvettes, along with SUVs and minivans, have Cds at .35, .31, and .30. This includes the Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Rav4, and Toyota Sienna.
The Tesla Cybertruck has a lot of work to do if it wants to stand out in the crowd. Its design is not yet final, and it has some pain points. The all-electric pickup truck from Tesla has rough A-pillars, peak at the top of the roof, and a massive bumper that needs to be polished, Electrek reports. However, it is highly likely that the upcoming truck from Tesla will be the most efficient pickup in the market when it finally arrives.
It could also be the most aerodynamically efficient pickup truck, as well. Meanwhile, we do not have the exact date of the tug of war rematch challenge between the Ford F-150 and Tesla Cybertruck. Ford already said that it is not interested in participating, but Elon Musk took its challenge to heart and is preparing for the rematch.
