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RESEARCH PAPER
Modern Solutions for Reducing the Aerodynamic Drag of Passenger Cars
 
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1
Research Group for New Automotive Technologies, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Automotive Industry Institute, Polska
 
2
Aerodynamics Department, CFD section, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation, Polska
 
3
Aerodynamics Department, Aerodynamics Research Laboratory, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation, Polska
 
 
Submission date: 2026-01-08
 
 
Final revision date: 2026-06-25
 
 
Acceptance date: 2026-07-07
 
 
Publication date: 2026-09-29
 
 
Corresponding author
Wiesław Zalewski   

Aerodynamics Department, CFD section, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation, al. Krakowska 110/114, 02-256, Warsaw, Polska
 
 
The Archives of Automotive Engineering – Archiwum Motoryzacji 2026;113(3):5-24
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The paper presents three groups of aerodynamic solutions that are currently common in the bodies of passenger cars from various manufacturers. Solutions of this type should reduce aerodynamic drag, which allows for lower electricity or fuel consumption. This also translates into increased vehicle range and compliance with stringent emission standards. Such solutions also play an important aesthetic role, increasing the visual appeal of the car body for the customer. The research were performed using the geometry of an SUV passenger car body as a reference point. This is currently one of the most popular car body types in Europe. The car body was configured to meet the requirements of an electric vehicle. The main difference from its combustion engine counterpart was the use of a flat floor. The base body was modified by adding various aerodynamic elements to the front and rear of the vehicle. They also changed the airflow of the base body in the area of the vehicle floor. The aerodynamic drag forces of the base geometry and its modified variants were determined using advanced computational fluid dynamics tools. The Ansys Fluent computational package was used in the analyses. The solutions used, computational models and results obtained are presented. The calculations confirmed the significant impact of the tested solutions on the aerodynamics of the car. After numerical analysis, the most promising solutions were selected and incorporated into the base geometry. Models were then prepared for testing in a wind tunnel, and tests were conducted which confirmed the results obtained in the numerical analyses. The reduction in aerodynamic drag achieved was approximately 9%. Based on the tests performed, it was concluded that additional airflow control solutions applied locally to the car body can effectively reduce its aerodynamic drag.
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eISSN:2084-476X
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