A demonstration of TrailerTail
Fuel savings could be as high as 5%
Spain has moved ahead of the European Union and is now allowing trucking fleets in Spain to operate fuel saving TrailerTail aerodynamic devices up to 75cm in length on both new and retrofitted trailers.
This is in comparison to the 50cm length allowance currently permitted by the European Union on newly manufactured trailers only. Several EU countries are also considering the allowance of higher efficiency TrailerTail devices that are 90-120cm in length by 2015, which would nearly double the fuel savings to as much as 5 percent.
TrailerTail technology improves a tractor-trailer’s fuel efficiency by streamlining the airflow behind the vehicle, reducing aerodynamic drag. The patented, folding origami TrailerTail designs can be installed in less than 45 minutes, enhance vehicle safety through improved stability and visibility and do not impede cargo capacity or the loading and unloading of the trailer. The TrailerTail AutoDeploy system automatically deploys the device, transforming the vehicle’s shape at 50km/hour to maximize fuel savings with zero driver involvement.
“Spanish carriers are the first in Europe to deploy the higher efficiency TrailerTail Eco-75 since it was made legal in August 2014. [The trailer] delivers real fuel savings of around 3%,” said Devin Koch, Vice President of International Markets at ATDynamics.
ATDynamics will demonstrate its TrailerTail Eco-90 with AutoDeploy at the 65th annual IAA show this week and will also be showing off its EcoSkirt System – a flexible under-trailer fairing that reduces aerodynamic drag caused primarily by air hitting the trailer’s rear axles.
“The Spanish Transport Ministry’s efforts to change the law ahead of the European Union will allow Spanish carriers utilizing both TrailerTail and EcoSkirts to reduce fuel costs by as much as 8%, which is enough to create a meaningful competitive advantage,” said Jose Miguel Sanchez, Director of Icodinamico, ATDynamics representative in Spain.
ATDynamics was the first company to develop a commercially successful rear-drag aerodynamic device in 2006. Since then, over 30,000 full length TrailerTails have safely operated more than three billion kilometers on North American and European roadways, proving the fuel efficiency, safety and durability of the technology.
