The new GMC Sierra pickup truck gets better gas mileage than its predecessors, and this is largely owing to its improved aerodynamics. This vehicle has been wind tunnel tested all along its design path to find new areas of wind economy. In fact, it has undergone more of this type of testing than any previous GMC pickup truck. This has helped to make the new GMC sierra the most fuel efficient pickup truck currently available.
The pickup was tested in the GMC aerodynamics lab. This facility consists of a wind tunnel 750 feet long. Wind is blown through this tunnel at speeds of up to 138 miles per hour in order to test the aerodynamic properties of GMC vehicles. These winds are generated by a fan 43 feet in diameter. This fan has a motor that runs on direct current and operates with the equivalent of 4,500 horsepower. All of this high powered equipment allows GMC engineers to exhaustively explore the minimization of wind resistance on the vehicles that the auto maker designs.
So what are some of the improved features in the new Sierra that help decrease its wind resistance? We called up our local GMC dealer, Williamson GMC of FL, to get the details. One is a new air dam below the front bumper which channels air toward the ground and away from the underside of the truck. The underbody of the truck, full as it is of rough shapes that are not necessarily aerodynamically optimized, can create wind resistance when air hits it too directly/ The air dam works to minimize this effect.
Another improvement is the ducted flow path between the grille and the radiator. This helps prevent air resistance that can occur in the truck’s front end spaces.
There have been improvements as well in the top of the tail gate and the high mounted center stop light as well. These have been optimized to offer less air resistance.
