Inflatable roof rack leaves aerodynaics unchanged when not in use
One thing that all of the high mileage vehicles and concepts share is a focus on aerodynamics. The entire shape of the EV1, Prius and Insight were penned specifically to improve fuel efficiency through aerodynamics. Vehicles such as the hybrid Civic and even the hybrid SUVs from GM have features such as flat wheels or lowered front valences are air dams to improve aerodynamics. What does this mean to you and me? That vehicle aerodynamics are important, especially on one designed for efficiency, and should be left alone whenever possible. So, you've just bought a shiny new Prius and you need some extra storage space once every few months... what to do? No worries! Just inflate your roof rack and you're good to go! Interested parties should check this website out. One note: If you're vehicle has curtain airbags, you'll have a problem with the installation. It's good that people are thinking of things like these!
[Source: HandiRack via Gizmag]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sarah Meyer 11:37AM (3/05/2008)
This is a very nice concept on roof racks. I do hope the installation won't cause any problems though I think these are manageable enough.
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W. Christiansen 12:35PM (6/04/2008)
Chech out the Bump-A-Rack. It is held in place with magnets and has a much lower profile than the inflatable rack (1.75") that is aerodynamically shaped. I also use it as a door bumper when I park in my garage. Don't use it outdoors, it could get stolen.
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Phillip Kramer 9:42PM (6/25/2007)
This sounds like just what I am looking for! I snowboard and surf and I don't want a roof rack always cutting into my gas mileage. I'm just wondering if someone can explain to me why there will be a problem with installation if you have curtain airbags. I could not find any implied reason on the linked website and if true would be troubling since my Civic Hybrid has curtain air bags.
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Phil L. 8:44AM (6/26/2007)
Because the attachment straps go through the door frames, under the roof. If the straps go over the curtain airbags, they'd interfere with the airbag's operation (it also means they could be an annoyance for tall passengers).
The video doesn't show the straps very clearly; the animation on this page does a better job:
http://www.handirackuk.com/will.asp
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Manu Sharma 10:35AM (6/26/2007)
Aerodynamics indeed play a very important role in fuel efficiency. Most cars have drag coefficient above 30% while all efficient cars have it around 23% or less. EV1 had a cd of 19.5%.
There's a fascinating article out there (can't find the link) which showed that just by changing the aerodynamics of cars and without any other modification in the engine or elsewhere, automakers can gain as much as a 30% improvement. Why it's not done has more to do with aesthetics. Nobody likes rear wheel covers, for example.
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OilKills 4:10PM (6/26/2007)
Why go through all of the inflatating trouble - there have been temporary foam racks that do the same thing for years.
BTW, in my experience standard steel and fixed racks like Thule or Yakima have almost an imperceptable impact on fuel efficiency when bare and unloaded.
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metis 12:06PM (6/29/2007)
i've been doing the same thing for years with a few pieces of ultra high tech pipe insulation from the local hardware store and some uv stable rope. costs ~5$ and sticks to the underside of the trunk lid with a bungee cord. if you're putting heavier things on, get a length of 1/2" insulation and a length of ~2" and put the smaller inside the larger. if you're feelign -really- crafty you can tie a monkeyfist knot in the end of the rope, thread it through, seal the rope in the insulation (if you got the precut-adhesive flavor) and tie another monkeyfist on the other end. alternately run 4 lengths together, with a carabiner on the 2 ends to attach to the front passenger, and rear driver jesus handles and loop around the door posts or other jesus handles.
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