A side step for a vehicle includes an inner side coupled to or adjacent to a vehicle body, an outer side, a top side, a bottom side, a front end and a rear end, where the front end is adapted to be arranged closer to a front of a vehicle than the rear end. An air guide is provided at one or both of the front end and the rear end, the air guide projects outwardly relative to a central portion of the side step that is spaced from the air guide, and the air guide projects outwardly from one or both of the top side and bottom side, and the air guide is thicker, in a vertical direction, at said one or both of the front end and rear end than is the air guide at a location between the front end and rear end.

An active aerodynamic system for a vehicle includes a movable exterior component disposed over a force sensor that is responsive to an aerodynamic force applied to the exterior surface, and a plurality of two or more linear actuators configured to move the movable exterior component responsive to the force applied to the exterior surface. A controller is configured to detect the aerodynamic force applied to the movable exterior component and to command the linear actuators to move the movable exterior component responsive to the aerodynamic force applied thereto. The controller may take into account other factors, such as vehicle speed, in determining a setting for the position of the movable exterior component and/or for determining a desired amount of aerodynamic force that the movable exterior component should have.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to an airfoil configured to be disposed at a distal end of a tank. In an illustrative example, the airfoil may be configured such that, when the tank travels at a predetermined minimum speed in a proximal direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tank, the airfoil coalesces off-coming air from the tank and distally repositions a low-pressure region downstream of the tank below a plane horizontal to the longitudinal axis. The region may be distally displaced, for example, by at least one of a length scale of the tank. A cross-section of the tank may, for example, define a substantially conic section. A span of the wing may, for example, be orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The wing may, for example, be below an upper surface of the tank. Various embodiments may advantageously reduce turbulence in the wake of the tank.

A wheel casing for a vehicle having a wheel assembly including a wheel and a tire. The wheel casing includes a body portion positionable adjacent an inboard surface of the tire, and a brake cooling duct defining an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening. The air outlet opening is in fluid communication with a brake system component and the air inlet opening is positionable inboard of the body portion when the body portion is positioned adjacent the inboard surface of the tire, thereby providing cooling air flow through the brake cooling duct to the brake system component when the vehicle is in forward motion. The wheel casing further includes a suspension arm undercover extending inboard of the body portion and configured to protect predetermined components of the vehicle.

A fairing includes a first part including a wall having and a top flange extending from the wall. A second part of the fairing includes a body and a bottom flange extending from the body. The bottom flange is configured to engage the top flange to couple the second part to the first part.

An active liftgate spoiler (10;100;200;300;400) used on a liftgate (8) of a vehicle (6). The liftgate has an upper surface (4) and is typically a rear liftgate or hatch on the rear side of the vehicle. A housing (11;104;202;302;412) is connected to the upper surface of the liftgate. There is a moveable panel (12; 102;204, 208; 306, 308;402,403) connected to the housing using a connection. The connection is formed by a four bar linkage (20,20′; 106, 106′;210,210′; 311,311′;411, 411′) that forms a portion of the connection between the moveable panel and the housing. An actuator (14;110;212;314;414), which in one embodiment is a single rotary actuator is connected to the four bar linkage and causes the movement of the moveable panel.

Provided is a vehicle rear spoiler control method, including the following steps: receiving a rear spoiler operation request; starting an environment perception apparatus of a vehicle, and acquiring environment perception data; performing obstacle detection in a preset range of a position where the rear spoiler of the vehicle is located according to the environment perception data; and controlling operation of the rear spoiler of the vehicle according to a result of the obstacle detection. By using the vehicle rear spoiler control method, the safety of operation of the rear spoiler can be improved. Further provided is an apparatus applying the vehicle rear spoiler control method and the vehicle.

Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative wing assemblies, wing systems, and methods. A wing assembly includes first drive cables, a flexible wing section, and a motor. The flexible wing section includes a flexible surface and frame members. One of the frame members is couplable to the first drive cables. The motor is couplable to a proximal end of the first drive cables and is configured to apply a longitudinal force to the drive cables. The applied force results in the flexible wing section curving in a predefined direction.

Tire cooling systems operatively disposed along a vehicle body adjacent a vehicle tire include a deflector panel displaceable between retracted and deployed positions. In the retracted position, a first nominal volume of air flows along the vehicle tire during operation. In the deployed position, a second nominal volume of air that is greater than the first nominal volume of air is directed along the vehicle tire. An actuator is selectively operable to displace the deflector panel between the retracted and deployed positions. A sensor registers data having a relation to a physical characteristic or health condition of the vehicle tire. A controller executes instructions to determine using the data whether or not the physical characteristic of the vehicle tire exceeds a predetermined threshold as well as control displacement of the deflector panel. Vehicles including tire cooling systems and method of operation are also included.

The invention relates to a rear closure system (2; 102) of a motor vehicle, comprising: a main body (4; 104), and a module (10; 110) that can be detached from the main body (4; 104) and can receive a device (24; 124),
the main body (4; 104) comprising a free space (12; 112) accessible through an opening (14; 114), the dimensions of the free space (12; 112) and the opening (14; 114) being such that the module (10; 110) can be inserted into, and removed from, the main body (4; 104).