How do you increase fuel economy on a vehicle? Aerodynamics do play a role in the equation and the 2015 Ford F-150 spent the time to get more slippery than ever before. It does it without sacrificing the tough and upright look that a truck should have. There are many tiny details that improve air flow, and thus make the engine work less at speed by reducing drag. Hence, even better efficiency.
The way that the front grille and the bumper are curved to the sides, the exterior shape of the bed, and flush mounted windshield all contribute to better drag coefficient. The tailgate top acts as a rear spoiler. By the way, Ford’s testing says that driving with the tailgate up (or closed) is more efficient than with the tailgate down. It lets the air exit more efficiently, instead of gathering in the bed and creating extra drag.
We have seen many pickup trucks drag racing at the Bandimere Speedway Truck Fest with tailgates down or removed. Guys, please try it with the tailgate up.
Ford claims that the new 2015 truck is more aerodynamic than its predecessors. However, they do not state the actual drag coefficient.
Learn lots more details about the 2015 Ford F-150 in this TFLtruck video.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, producer, and software engineer. He has been writing and reporting at TFL since 2011. Likes ‘going for a drive’.
