A vehicle is provided that includes a sensor arrangement configured to sense one or more regions proximate to an exterior of the vehicle, and a controller configured to process signals generated by the sensor arrangement and to detect and generate a geometric profile of a trailer in the one or more regions proximate to the exterior of the vehicle, the controller further determining an air resistance of the trailer based on the geometric profile and calculating an expected driving range of the vehicle based on the detected air resistance.

A hatch door, which comprises a rear spoiler and a side spoiler, which are fixedly connected to a base structure of the hatch door, wherein it is provided according to the invention that the rear spoiler is additionally disposed mechanically reversibly secured with respect to the side spoiler and vice versa by a mechanical connection.

A preferred multi-panel skirt system for a cargo enclosure includes two pair of forward and aft skirt panels with each pair located on an opposite lateral sides of the enclosure. In each pair, the forward skirt panel extends along the bottom wall generally in the lengthwise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge, which is located adjacent to and aligned with or positioned laterally inboard of a lateral side edge of the enclosure. An aft skirt panel extends along the bottom wall generally in the lengthwise direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge aft of the forward skirt panel, which trailing edge is located adjacent to and aligned with or positioned laterally inboard of the lateral side edge of the enclosure. The leading edge of the aft skirt panel is positioned laterally inboard of the trailing edge of the forward skirt panel.

A vehicle spat device includes: a spat that rotatably supported by a first rotation shaft and configured to be displaced between a deployment position and a storage position; and a link unit transmitting power of an actuator to the spat. The link unit includes a drive link rotating integrally with a drive shaft when the actuator is driven, and an intermediate link connected to the spat via a second rotation shaft and connected to the drive link via a third rotation shaft. The drive link rotates around the drive shaft between a first position where the spat is disposed at the storage position and a second position where the spat is disposed at the deployment position. In the drive link, the first position is a position rotated from a first neutral position in a first rotation direction.

According to a link mechanism type variable wheel deflector applied to a vehicle, a deflector coupled to a cover plate using a hinge boss as a rotation center can be operated using traveling resistant wind as a driving source, a piston receiving the linear movement of a link shaft by a moment arm rotated with the deflector can unfold the deflector while compressing an elastic member, and an elastic restoring force of the elastic member can be applied to the piston to return the link shaft and the moment arm to fold the deflector, thereby strengthening the repeated durability of the elastic member compared to the rotating motion of the spring, and in particular, the rotating motion and the linear motion can be implemented by the link motion mechanism apparatus connected to the deflector, thereby implementing the high durability performance with the low-cost mechanical structure.

An aerodynamic wrap for use with a tank trailer illustratively includes opposing first and second side assemblies. In an illustrative embodiment, each side assembly includes an upper panel pivotably supported by the tank trailer, and a lower panel pivotably supported by the upper panel. A lower connecting member illustratively couples the lower panels of the first and second side assemblies under the belly of the tank trailer.

A pickup truck including a passenger compartment, a cargo bed operatively coupled to the passenger compartment, and a selectively deployable drag reduction system mounted at the cargo bed. The selectively deployable drag reduction system includes a deflector that is shiftable between a non-deployed configuration and a deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration the deflector is exposed to an airflow passing over the pickup truck.

A cellular antenna structure for integration in a vehicle includes a ground plane to follow a slope of a spoiler chassis. The spoiler chassis is a portion of the vehicle covered by a spoiler. The cellular antenna structure also includes a cellular antenna orthogonal to the ground plane and electrically connected to the ground plane and a structural support affixed to the ground plane to maintain a fixed position of the cellular antenna orthogonal to the ground plane.

A strut assembly for mounting an aerodynamic fairing assembly for attachment to a trailer of a tractor-trailer having a centerline, transverse structural support members extending between sides of the trailer, and longitudinal members extending along a length of the trailer. The strut assembly may comprise a mounting plate, a strut body, and a substantially rectangular composite spring. The mounting bracket comprising a mounting plate and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls. The strut body rotatably may be coupled to the pair of spaced apart sidewalls on the mounting bracket. The substantially rectangular composite spring may be coupled to an upper surface of the strut body and configured to contact an underside of the mounting plate of the mounting bracket to resist inward deflection from an external force applied to the strut body.

An active air dam notification method includes, among other things, transitioning an air dam of a vehicle between a first position and a second position, and providing an alert to a user. The alert indicates that the air dam is transitioning. The air dam is vertically higher when the air dam is in the first position than when the air dam is in the second position.