"We've tried that on several occasions," Pien adds. "But under the strain of vehicle testing, frame twist broke the shields." Also, the fuel-economy improvement was minor, so the company chose not to use them. Instead, designers ask the engineers to keep the drivetrain and suspension as high and close to the body as possible.
Runningboards help control turbulence under the truck, so manufacturers are happy to install them on as many vehicles as possible. "The runningboard is like a channel that controls the airflow," Pien explains. "We have them available on all of the SUVs, because they're usually helpful."
Future technology could include a grille that opens and closes slats according to the truck's cooling needs to minimize drag. "The problem is that owners could easily unplug the wire, leaving the slats open all the time, and the EPA won't accept easily defeated tweaks," says Pien.
Subtle adjustments to the shape of body parts has an important impact. Consider the rear edge of the hood. "The air has to be directed over the windshield wipers and stay close to the windshield. We designed a curved rear edge to the hood to get that air over the wipers," says Aneiros. "That makes a positive aerodynamic contribution."
Where will truck styling go from here? "I think we're going to see more aggressive action on aerodynamics in the future," Pien predicts. "Everybody's trucks are getting bigger, and to maintain the same energy consumption, you've got to reduce drag. In the future, we'd like to see a more streamlined vehicle."
Does that mean pickups and SUVs will follow the direction of pointy-noised tractor-trailers? "Could be," says Pien, "but I think macho is still going to be important."