Does the tonneau cover effect range much?

[rivianUGA]

My new R1T got 2.27 mi/kWh on a 300 mile trip today. Th new one doesn’t have the tonneau cover. My old one (the one that got totaled) had the power tonneau cover and I always got a little better range on this same drive. But it was 97 degrees today too. So not sure if the temp or the lack of tonneau cover or both or something else made the difference. (22s.)

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[wizard467]

My new R1T got 2.27 mi/kWh on a 300 mile trip today. Th new one doesn’t have the tonneau cover. My old one (the one that got totaled) had the power tonneau cover and I always got a little better range on this same drive. But it was 97 degrees today too. So not sure if the temp or the lack of tonneau cover or both or something else made the difference. (22s.)

Mythbusters did an episode on this once.
They found that without a cover a pocket of air “sets up” in the bed of the truck. They couldn’t tell any efficiency difference between the two setups.

But, don’t drop the tailgate, lowering the tailgate when the bed wasn’t covered DID drop efficiency, presumably because the air couldn’t stay in the bed to setup the pocket of air.

 

[AYAYRON]

My new R1T got 2.27 mi/kWh on a 300 mile trip today. Th new one doesn’t have the tonneau cover. My old one (the one that got totaled) had the power tonneau cover and I always got a little better range on this same drive. But it was 97 degrees today too. So not sure if the temp or the lack of tonneau cover or both or something else made the difference. (22s.)

I take the same long drive monthly from Dallas to Bentonville so 400 miles, and on the same stretch of road I can be at 1.5mi/kwh or 2.6mi/kwh so to be able to test the efficiency of the tonneau cover seems nearly impossible, if you can't control the wind speed as that's how impactful the wind is against the truck all other things being equal.

 

[mkhuffman]

I am curious about this so bumping up this thread to see if anyone has any comparisons with it open and closed.

The Cybertruck is supposed to get better efficiency with the tonneau closed, but has an angled cover instead of a flat cover. It would make sense for it to have better efficiency with it open because a pocket of air may have less air resistance than a solid surface. I realize the test referenced in a previous post found no difference, but a BEV should allow for a more precise test since it is easier to measure efficiency.

Has anyone tested your R1T to see?

 

[moosehead]

What is this tonneau cover you guys speak of?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Not as much as you think with the R1T. Too many point to Mythbuster episodes and jump to conclude their findings are universal, overlooking the fact that trucks they tested were not designed to be aerodynamically efficient to begin with.

For R1T specific data see Branden Flasch’s test:

On aerodynamics of Rivian’s design: https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/is-this-a-cooling-vent….23734/post-475208

 

[mkhuffman]

No as much as you think with the R1T. Too many point to Mythbuster episodes and jump to conclude their findings are universal, overlooking the fact that trucks they tested were not designed to be aerodynamically efficient to begin with.

For R1T specific data see Branden Flasch’s test:

On aerodynamics of Rivian’s design: https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/is-this-a-cooling-vent….23734/post-475208

Thanks Barnum. This is a very well done test.

 

[solaskaze]

What is this tonneau cover you guys speak of?

I vaguely remember something ordered in 2019. Not so sure. Perhaps someone can send me a powered one right now, and I will recreate, for scientific confirmation only, of course, the test mentioned above.

 

[Supratachophobia]

Mythbusters did an episode on this once.
They found that without a cover a pocket of air “sets up” in the bed of the truck. They couldn’t tell any efficiency difference between the two setups.

But, don’t drop the tailgate, lowering the tailgate when the bed wasn’t covered DID drop efficiency, presumably because the air couldn’t stay in the bed to setup the pocket of air.

If I recall, the best efficiency on that episode was the webbed tailgate.

For the Rivian, I believe the "vent" on the rear top cabin is designed to cause/refine the air flow so that it does spin and cause less drag even if the tonneau is closed. Normally trucks do not have that feature. So while the mythbusters episode is relevant, it's not 100% applicable.

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