A truck with low fuel consumption achieves a more favorable VECTO value, because fuel consumption is directly related to_{CO2 emissions}- every kilo of diesel corresponds to approximately three kilos of carbon dioxide. Logistics companies are therefore looking for a long-term and practical way to save fuel.

Intelligent solution improves aerodynamics

Even without VECTO, saving fuel is the most important argument when buying a commercial vehicle. Fuel costs account for a third of the total expenditure of hauliers in the long-distance business. A young and innovative company from Aachen has found an intelligent solution to this problem. The Betterflow rear wing system saves fuel by improving the aerodynamics of articulated trucks. The rear wing system is an add-on that reduces the _cW value by around 9 %.

Company founders and inventors are Dr. Rainer Buffo and Dipl.-Ing. Ingo Martin: "Trucks have unfavorable aerodynamics. That's why they consume a lot of fuel and pollute the environment. However, the shape of articulated trucks is difficult to change for economic and legal reasons. That's why we developed the rear wing system and founded Betterflow."

At the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 from September 19 to 27 in Hanover, Betterflow will be presenting the fully automatic folding and unfolding rear wing system directly at its stand B11 in hall 27. Visitors to the stand can take a look at the mechanism. In practice, the rear wings only extend automatically at an average speed of 60 km/h or more. At average speeds below 55 km/h, they return to their original position. Both processes run completely independently and are not carried out by the driver. During loading and unloading of the trailer, the wings lie flat and ensure normal access to the cargo area.

Individual optimization to suit tractor units and driving tasks

The Betterflow aero package complements the rear wing system to suit the semitrailer configurations and their driving tasks. The package consists of various components that come from the Betterflow development department as well as from third-party suppliers. However, the central element with the highest savings values is the rear wing system.

Because everything for hauliers revolves around TCO, total cost of ownership, they check every investment to see whether it pays off. "New technology for commercial vehicles can only be successful if it increases cost-effectiveness and efficiency," says Dirk Sieprath, responsible for marketing at Betterflow. "The aero package and the rear wing system offer logistics companies both and protect our climate at the same time."

Aero package and the rear wing system are the first steps in the right direction. Betterflow has new, more far-reaching ideas for the coming years. The Betterflow stand gives visitors a glimpse into the future: two models, around 70 cm long, of the next and next but one generation of articulated lorries, from 2025 and 2032. This shows that optimizing the aerodynamics of articulated lorries will undoubtedly continue to make an important contribution to reducing fuel consumption on long-distance transports in the future.