Tonneau Efficiency

[HyperionMark]

Anyone out there with somewhat solid efficiency stats for using tonneau vs without?

Watching the feed of the Pikes Peak run had me thinking they must either think it helps with down force or efficiency since they did have a cover on there.

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[COdogman]

Mythbusters did a test YEARS ago with all of the usual pickup options that people try to be more efficient and I believe they concluded the difference was negligible between tonneau/ no tonneau/ tailgate up/ down/ mesh tailgate.

TFL thinks it helps quite a bit.

 

[dleepnw]

its been tested by Kyle Conner (Out of Spec) and there was minimal efficiency improvement fro the R1T.

 

[Eeyore]

Mythbusters did a test YEARS ago with all of the usual pickup options that people try to be more efficient and I believe they concluded the difference was negligible between tonneau/ no tonneau/ tailgate up/ down/ mesh tailgate.

TFL thinks it helps quite a bit.

And I remember that there was a noticeable difference between tailgate up vs tailgate down, with up being more fuel efficient.

 

[R1Thor]

Anecdotally: absolutely negligible.

 

[mkhuffman]

I have been thinking about this as well because highway efficiency is very important to me.

It seems like leaving it open would be more aerodynamic because there is a huge surface missing that would otherwise provide resistance to air flow. And I mean at highway speeds, obviously. 75-80 mph, which is my usual highway speed.

It is surprising that lowering the tailgate reduces efficiency but I suspect it is because of the way a pocket of air is created when the gate is closed, which is better than the air roaring down all the surfaces inside the bed. As a kid I remember laying down in the back of a truck bed and how serine it was beneath the gale above.

 

[SwampNut]

I also wonder if the cargo bars change efficiency.

 

[R1Thor]

I also wonder if the cargo bars change efficiency.

They absolutely do.
I had mine on consistently for all of a week before I took them off to get some range back due to my long commute.

 

[SwampNut]

The wife hates when I take them off, loves how they look. I guess I need to go do a measured drive and see how much it matters.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Mythbusters did a test YEARS ago with all of the usual pickup options that people try to be more efficient and I believe they concluded the difference was negligible between tonneau/ no tonneau/ tailgate up/ down/ mesh tailgate.

TFL thinks it helps quite a bit.

Branden Flasch did the test a year ago. There was hardly any difference. The Mythbusters test can’t be applied to the R1T because none of those trucks were designed with as much consideration for aero as Rivian has.

 

[COdogman]

Branden Flasch did the test a year ago. There was hardly any difference. The Mythbusters test can’t be applied to the R1T because none of those trucks were designed with as much consideration for aero as Rivian has.

Ah I forgot that Branden had done that. Thank you!

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