USA TODAY: Just as mini-blinds help keep out the sun, automakers are starting to use their own version of shutters to keep out the wind — making cars more fuel efficient.
These are no ordinary window treatments. Rather, they are high-tech mechanisms that are sandwiched between the car’s grille and radiator and are controlled by the car’s engine computer. The computer uses several factors to decide whether the shutter slats should be open, closed or somewhere in between.
When they are open, the car can breathe better on hot days or under stress, like when it’s chugging up a hill. When they are closed, the car becomes more aerodynamic, trapping or disrupting less air and increasing fuel mileage up to 2%… (more)
