The eVOLVE Hybrid Wheel made of metal and plastic, designed for the 2012 MYFord Focus SE, has shown an increase of 1.1 MPG highway in third-party tests, compared to the car's standard production wheel. (Source: Lacks Wheel Trim Systems)
I also think the F150 was shown with an aerodynamic wheel that also incorporated shutters to close up the slots at high speeds and open for slow speeds (to provide adequete brake cooling).
An improvement of 1.1 mpg is huge. Automotive engineers spend months and months just trying to find a few tenths of a mile-per-gallon. If these third party tests are right and if automakers find this to be economically feasible for production, then this is a gigantic step forward.
I'm really surprised, I would have guessed it was all about the rotating mass. I never would have thought that the drag from the wheel would make such a difference.
I think this wheel is a small step in the right direction. What would make a bigger impact is using this technology to make automobile bodies and large internal components,aka seats. lighter. The wheel weight reduction is too small an increment of automobile weight.
I think this wheel is a small step in the right direction. What would make a bigger impact is using this technology to make automobile bodies and large internal components,aka seats. lighter. The wheel weight reduction is too small an increment of automobile weight.
Me too. I would never think that. In my opinion if weight is the problem, there are other items thay can make lighter, like frame, seats, booth hoods, etc....
If I read the article correctly, the metal/plastic wheel is about 4 pounds less than the standard wheel. For this weight reduction, is there a cost savings or is the main benefit the MPG increase?
Unsprung mass is a big deal for vehicle performance although not necessarily fuel economy. Reduced rotating inertia probably has an impact on city driving more than taking weight out of the seat frames. I wonder how much the plastic is about appearance rather than aerodynamics. Wheels take a beating, and I know they will look pretty bad by the time I buy a 2014 focus in the year 2025.
The three-piece modular wheel is even lighter. A 15" dia 10" wide Jongbloed wheel from the mid- '70s weighed 14 lbs. It used two spun aluminum wheel halfs and a forged magnesium center. This was a racing wheel so it was plenty strong but it was difficult to maintain-- dogs would come from adjacent counties to pee on mag wheels!
As far as aerodynamics are concerned, Bonneville racers have used "Moon Discs" since the '50s to improve the rotating and wind resistance of their wheels. These are spun aluminum discs that cover the center of a standard steel wheel. They are still used in land speed racing. They do not allow brake cooling air circulation, however.
Instead of such a complex wheel structure as this new wheel design, why not just mould that design with a carbon fiber reinforced polymer?
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are designing a robotic arm that takes inspiration from the loose, flexible, yet very strong structure of the armored plates on a seahorse's tail.
Researchers at the Missouri University of Science & Technology have designed a new nanoscale material that can transmit light faster than the 186,000 miles per second it usually takes to travel through air.
It has often been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. This spring, the state's wind power is setting energy generation records and solar energy generation is expected to rise sharply during the second half of 2013.
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