Porsche working on a vibrating car. Better aerodynamics in question

Volkswagen-owned German luxury car brand Porsche is reportedly working on a new technology that would substantially reduce the aerodynamic friction of an electric vehicle. The automaker recently said that along with the methods being tested to make future cars slice through the air more efficiently and effectively, the University of Stuttgart is investing in making a whole car vibrate. It is like shaking off the aerodynamic drag by vibration.

This could be a significant step for the automotive industry as it is rapidly transitioning towards electric propulsion. Automakers are looking for methods to make their cars more and more aerodynamic. The vibrating car comes s a unique yet weird potential solution.

Speaking about this technology, professor Andreas Wagener, the chair of the automotive engineering program at the university, said that a team of researchers is examining whether it is possible to reduce the Cd value at certain points in the car body by systematically introducing vibrations. “We are examining whether it is possible to reduce the Cd value at certain points in the car body by systematically introducing vibrations," said Wagener, further adding, "If you introduce a defined pulse into the flow around the car using speakers, its separation behaviour can be influenced."

The method is claimed to be in a pretty early development phase. Despite seeking the answer of better aerodynamics, Porsche doesn't want to impact the N and V levels in the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) too badly.

“We have to make sure, for example, that passengers don’t hear any buzzing or humming. That still has some way to go before series production," " said Wagner.

Interestingly, a good Cd (Drag Coefficiency) value can be achieved in many different ways, and automakers constantly work on that to achieve better aerodynamics for their vehicles.