Aside from the Corvette, the Chevrolet Volt is touted as the most aerodynamic vehicle in Chevrolet’s lineup, and among an elite group of vehicles with a drag coefficient under .30. Yet as the years have gone by, improvements to the science have been made, and cars continue to be slipperier and slipperier. Take for instance the more modern, larger and far more expensive  Tesla Model S, which has an impressive drag coefficient of just .24, compared to the Volt’s .28, according to GM-Volt.
Compared to other vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius and Mercedes-Benz CLA250, the Volt comes in more in the middle. The Leaf, for instance, is the least sleek of the group, with a drag coefficient of .32, while the Benz comes in at .30 even. Ahead of the Volt is the Prius, barely, with a drag coefficient of .26. But with the next Volt on the way, we’re sure improvements will be made in this department.
Comments
My Taurus has a .30 drag coefficient…So what?
The Tesla Model S has a .24 drag coefficient…. Not bad for the big BEV.
Don’t be fooled by drag coefficient. It is nowhere near the only factor in “fuel economy”, better described as “operating efficiency”. Drag coefficient does not encompass the effects of frontal area, rolling resistance of tires, drive line efficiency, HVAC loads, etc., etc.
Interestingly, the drag coefficient of the 1991 Buick Park Avenue is 0.31. That was with technology that is now approaching a quarter of a century old! (Source: GM, c.1991).
How does drag coefficient not encompasses frontal area? Drag coefficient is mostly based on geometry. The power needed to overcome drag at freeway speeds is velocity^3 since drag is velocity^2. And since a lot of people drive on the freeway, drag coefficient is very important. Even more important for EVs as people have range anxiety.
Drag reduction is more useful for high speed driving. But in a city’s “stop-and-go” traffic, a brick is more space efficient and no drag reduction will help! And I believe in some aerodynamic trimming for attractive designs, but I will not sacrifice interior comfort (especially rear headroom), and space usage just to gain a few MPGs.
I agree with Joseph Guzek on Buicks. My present Regal is so clean that as I drive , insects flutter off my windshield with no damage to them or my view of the road ahead. That is good enough!