How do Active Grille Shutters work?
When a vehicle is moving, air turbulence occurs on its surface – a quiet normal process in aerodynamics. The air flap control (“Active Grille Shutter”) from HBPO is integrated in the front-end module according to customer wishes. If the air flaps are closed, air flow around the vehicle is improved and turbulence is reduced, thus significantly reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Depending on the driving situation, the Active Grille Shutter closes or opens the air flaps automatically and guarantees optimum driving conditions. A positive side-effect of this system is the regulation of heat in the engine compartment – depending on requirements and demand, the hot air remains in the engine compartment or is dissipated.
25,000 tonnes
All vehicles fitted with active grille shutters generated total fuel savings of to 25,000 tonnes in 2018.
The advantages of Active Grille Shutter at a glance:
- Less drag
Closed air flaps smooth out the vehicle front and reduce the drag coefficient. In addition, the engine reaches operating temperature more quickly and remains hot for longer after it is has been switched off.
- CO2 reduction
Thanks to improved vehicle aerodynamics with the air flaps closed, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced significantly.
- Less weight
Thanks to lightweight engineering and doing without paint coat, AGS reduces the vehicle weight by an extent relevant for CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
Which vehicles have Active Grille Shutters?
Active Grille Shutters are used in vehicles powered by combustion engines or electricity. The requirements differ, of course. While the focus is more on reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in the case of combustion engines, an important factor for electric-powered vehicles is extending battery range.
