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Open Access

REVIEW

An Overview of Drag Reduction Methods in Road Cars

Umberto Ravelli1, Silvia Ravelli2,*
1 Independent Researcher, Brescia, Italy
2 Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Dalmine, Italy
* Corresponding Author: Silvia Ravelli. Email: email

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2026.075225

Received 27 October 2025; Accepted 03 February 2026; Published online 26 February 2026

Abstract

Aerodynamic research on road cars was reviewed in this work under the thread of reducing drag, with the awareness that this may succeed in effectively decreasing the carbon footprint of transportation. First, a selection of studies was presented to focus on the most important aerodynamic features of the flow around realistic car body shapes. Then, the discussion was organized around three pillars related to passive flow control, active flow control and active aerodynamics. Both experimental and numerical investigations were included to provide a comprehensive overview. A clear distinction was made between simplified and realistic car models, as well as production vehicles (within the limits of restricted access information). Moreover, a short essay was dedicated to electric vehicles, for which aerodynamics matters, especially at highway speeds. Last, the impact of aerodynamic principles on the design of current and future vehicle fleet was assessed, honestly admitting that recent market trends must be reversed to turn decarbonization goals into reality and damp the effects of global warming.

Graphical Abstract

An Overview of Drag Reduction Methods in Road Cars

Keywords

Road cars; aerodynamics; drag coefficient; passive flow control; active flow control; active aerodynamics

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