WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WBC), a leading global supplier of technologies that improve the safety, efficiency and connectivity of commercial vehicles, today announced the North America premiere of OptiFlow™ AutoTail and Tail as part of its showcase of industry-leading aerodynamics technologies at TMC Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition. The trade show will take place from Feb. 27 through March 2, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn.
The first aerodynamic tail in the U.S. to feature automatic deployment and retraction, WABCO’s OptiFlow AutoTail is also the first product to earn EPA SmartWay verification from the prestigious National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian government’s premier research and technology organization.
WABCO’s OptiFlow AutoTail deploys and retracts tail panels based on driving speed as determined by sensors linked to WABCO’s Trailer Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS). The device automatically deploys at vehicle speeds of 45 mph ensuring it is consistently used at speeds that maximize aerodynamic fuel savings. The tail panels automatically retract at a vehicle speed of 10 mph.
OptiFlow AutoTail delivers fuel savings of up to 4.3% at highway speeds based on SmartWay test protocol, and reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 4.8 tons per trailer per year. Automatic retraction also improves maneuverability and enhances safety by ensuring panels are folded in city centers, loading docks and other areas where trailers are in close proximity to pedestrians or objects.
WABCO also features its OptiFlow Tail for the first time in North America. Easy to deploy and retract manually, WABCO OptiFlow Tail provides identical fuel savings as OptiFlow AutoTail. It features a lightweight design that is straightforward to install and retrofit. OptiFlow Tail is easily upgraded to OptiFlow AutoTail.
