A rear fairing assembly for a cargo enclosure includes a fairing bracket configured to be coupled to an enclosure wall of the cargo enclosure. In addition, the rear fairing assembly includes a separate fairing skin supported relative to the enclosure wall via the fairing bracket.

An aerodynamic fairing assembly for attachment to a trailer of a tractor-trailer. The aerodynamic fairing assembly may comprise a front skirt fairing and a rear skirt comprising a transition. The transition may extend outwardly of the side skirt fairing at a distance from the centerline of the trailer. The side skirt faring and rear skirt fairing are coupled to the trailer by one or more struts.

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.

A mudflap-integrated aerodynamic member for improving aerodynamic characteristics of a motor vehicle is described. The motor vehicle includes a vehicle body, a front wheelhouse, and a frame. The mudflap-integrated aerodynamic member includes a mudflap portion configured to attach to the front wheelhouse and cover at least a portion of the front wheelhouse and an elongated air strake attached to and projecting from the mudflap portion. The elongated air strake includes an elongated strake body extending longitudinally with respect to the vehicle body from an outboard edge contiguous with the mudflap portion to an inboard edge adjacent to the vehicle body.

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 composite spring. The composite spring may be substantially rectangular. 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 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.

A method for reducing an amount of aerodynamic drag generated within a rear area of a vehicle may include attaching a plurality of devices to a surface of the vehicle, the plurality of devices being positioned such that at least two of the plurality of devices are parallel to each other, where each of the plurality of devices includes flat and tapered surface regions, the device is positioned in the rear area of the vehicle, and the at least two of the plurality of devices cause an air stream passing between the at least two of the plurality of devices to increase in speed before the air stream is turned inward to a vacuum formed behind the vehicle.

A deployable applique assembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a housing having a wall with at least one through opening extending through the wall and a panel configured to overlie at least a portion of the wall when in a stowed position, with an outer surface of the panel being configured to form a smooth surface with a body panel of the motor vehicle. The assembly includes a drive link extending through the at least one through opening and having a first end operatively coupled to the inner surface of the panel and a second end. An actuator has a drive member operably coupled with the second end of the drive link, wherein the actuator is operable to selectively pivot the drive link to move the panel between the stowed position and a deployed position.

In a vehicle air guide path structure, a vertically long air guide path forming member is provided along an outer edge of a side surface portion of a vehicle body on a rear side of a wheel house. A vertically long air guide path is formed at the rear side of the wheel house. The vertically long air guide path suctions air from the wheel house and exhausts air along a side surface of the vehicle body. A partition member partitions the vertically long air guide path so as to form a plurality of sections in an upper-lower direction. A vertically long inclined surface is formed on the side surface portion of the vehicle body at a rear side of the vertically long air guide path. The partition member protrudes to a rear side from the vertically long air guide path.

An aerodynamic fairing assembly for attachment to a trailer of a tractor-trailer. The aerodynamic fairing assembly may comprise a front skirt fairing and a movable skirt fairing that is configures to move forward and rearward along the length of the trailer. The front skirt faring and movable skirt fairing are coupled to the trailer by one or more mounting brackets.

A vehicle is provided including a body having a side, and at least one aero cladding element operably connected to the body along the side so as to be supported for movement between a cladding position and an aero position. In another aspect, an aero cladding system for a vehicle is provided. The aero cladding system includes a base cladding element and an aero cladding element operably connected to the base cladding element so as to be movable relative to the base cladding element between a first position and a second position different from the first position. At least one actuator is operably connected to the aero cladding element and is structured to be operable to move the aero cladding element between the first position and the second position.