Ram Patents A Fabric Diffuser That's A Rear Awning For Trucks
Stellantis has just filled an interesting patent for a retractable, fabric rear diffuser. Rear diffusers are normally fixated to the lower rear portion of a vehicle and work to either improve aerodynamic airflow, create downforce, or both. In this application it appears Stellantis is more focused on improving aerodynamic efficiency. As the company states:
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle including a vehicle body; and a diffuser configured to alter aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle mounted to the vehicle body, wherein the diffuser includes: a housing attached to the vehicle body; a fabric panel attached to the housing that is configured to move between a stowed position located within the housing and a deployed position where the fabric panel extends outward from the housing and relative to the vehicle body, the fabric panel altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle when in the deployed position; and at least one strut that is configured to support the fabric panel when the fabric panel is in the deployed position and be stowed with the fabric panel in the housing when the fabric panel is in the stowed position.
Essentially, in an overly simplified explanation, the fabric diffuser sounds like the rollout awnings adorning RVs and travel trailers for decades. When retracted, the fabric diffuser rolls up into a covered box on/or attached to the rear bumper. When deployed, it stretches out into a straight wing-like shape straight off the back of the vehicle.
What’s most interesting, the vehicle Stellantis has used in the drawings is a pickup truck. Could this be a future technology for vehicles like the Ram 1500 REV all electric-truck? It could help boost range and efficiency when not towing. We doubt it will be a production piece anytime soon, but it is a curious idea that we’d love to see how beneficial it could be in practice.
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A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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