The “What’s Inside? Family” YouTube channel, which started out by opening things up and seeing what was inside, has become something of an automotive channel. It covers all things Tesla and has a strong EV focus on its automotive content. The channel’s most recent video is of the host, Dan Markham, giving a tour of a GM wind tunnel, which is the biggest of its kind in the world.
Made in 1980, this massive wind tunnel is located at GM’s Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Although NASA has a larger wind tunnel for aerospace testing, this GM wind tunnel in Michigan is the biggest one used in automotive testing. Part of the reason it’s so huge is that it’s old; more modern wind tunnels can simulate high speeds using less space. In fact, the Warren Technical Center has a newer and smaller wind tunnel on the same campus.
The fan in this wind tunnel has Sitka spruce blades with balsa wood tips and a 43-foot span. It has 4,500 horsepower and is capable of wind speeds up to 135 mph. The wind tunnel itself is made of 20,000 cubic yards of concrete.
Markham explains that a wind tunnel can also be used to test for wind noise in EVs in addition to testing for optimal aerodynamics. EVs tend to have more audible wind and road noise since there’s no white noise from an ICE engine to drown it out. Markham explains that EVs have more sound deadening to counteract this problem.
Then Markham gets to play with the “smoke monster” and do some wind tunnel testing on a Chevy Equinox EV. He proceeds to demonstrate how a smoke machine is used in wind tunnel testing and tests at wind speeds up to 30 mph. Then he tests the Equinox EV’s aerodynamics with an upside-down bowl taped to the roof, and we cannot explain why.
When the testing with the smoke monster is complete, Markham does some wind noise testing while sitting inside the Equinox EV and taking advantage of the “turntable” that can turn the car up to 180 degrees. Since the Chevy Equinox EV is a production model that’s already been thoroughly wind tunnel tested, this part is pretty uneventful.
Following the wind tunnel testing, Markham travels to the GM Milford Proving Ground and actually gets an interview with GM CEO Mary Barra. He explores Milford with Barra as a tour guide and checks out extreme temperature testing, shake and rattle testing, and VR car testing.
Check out the full video below.
Comments
How much do you wanna bet they’ve already put the Blazer in NASCAR trim through it to see how bad it’s going to be at Daytona.
It would be nice if cars were “designed” less in the wind tunnel. That’s why they all look alike.
Huh?
Can you tell the difference from Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Oldsmobile cars made in 1931…. Or 1947….or 1953?