World's First Wind Tunnel for Trucks May Blow Better Diesel Efficiency by 2007 EPA Deadline
For one West Coast-based manufacturer, research gained from studying the aerodynamics of heavy-duty trucks will be a critical next step in squeezing efficiency out of cleaner, pricier diesel engines and fuel. On April 13, Freightliner LLC unveiled the worlds first truck-specific wind tunnel, which it financed and built near its headquarters in Portland, Ore.
A subsidiary of Stuttgart, Germany-based DaimlerChrysler, the truck manufacturer claims that the new steel-framed facility was the most-rapidly built and lowest-priced, full-scale wind tunnel on the planet. The 12,000-sq-ft building and wind tunnel were completed in 11 months for about $3 million, one-tenth of the cost of wind tunnels of similar size, says Freightliner.