Haulage running costs could reduce by nearly a fifth if a new type of freight trailer enters service, according to aerodynamics specialist Sam Evans.

His Edinburgh-based start-up, Aeroflow, has created a prototype ‘shape-shifting’ lorry, with the support of Connected Places Catapult.

The trailer features side walls that can be moved inwards to create a point at the back, when the trailer is not being used to its full capacity.

This means that air can pass more freely around the unit; reducing drag and improving fuel efficiency by between 10 and 18%, depending on the volume and weight of cargo being carried. In terms of cost saving, this could represent up to £5,000 a year per vehicle.

Creating a triangular shape at the rear of the lorry also promises to improve driver visibility and reduce the chance of a vehicle with a lighter load being affected by crosswinds.

Aeroflow developed its concept with the support of the Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme, delivered by the Catapult on behalf of the Department for Transport.

The company is now in talks with a trailer manufacturer to produce a more advanced prototype, and several high-profile haulage operators have expressed interest in the system along with trade body the Road Haulage Association.

Lorries under-used most of the time

“Haulage companies waste billions of pounds on fuel every year by transporting empty or partially empty trailers,” says Sam. “We estimate that 30% of the time they are completely empty, and 40% of the time they are partially empty. So for 70% of the time they are either producing no revenue or not fulfilling their potential.”

He recognises that many hauliers like the versatility of conventional large trailers, so they can take all manner of goods at a moment’s notice to meet customer deadlines, but points out: “they are terrible for aerodynamics”.

“We wouldn’t have been able to build the system without the TRIG funding. It was great to apply for a programme that was specific to transport.

Sam Evans, Co-founder & CEO, Aeroflow

“All of the sessions I went to helped me to improve as a chief executive, build more commercial experience and have a better idea of the pathway forward. It was nice to meet people from other companies, and helpful to share experiences.”

Aeroflow won an award for the Most Significant (Proven) Idea at the Connected Places Summit in March. Ten minutes after leaving the stage, Sam was approached by a representative from a freight decarbonisation firm to talk about future opportunities.

Multiple moving walls

Sam says that Aeroflow’s prototype trailer design with one tapering wall each side will likely achieve an average 10% fuel improvement. Longer term, the aim is to create multiple tapering walls along each side of the trailer to make the unit even smaller if needed, and improve efficiencies further.

Sam adds that the aerodynamic design of the shape-shifting trailers will save costs for vehicles powered by any fuel, and help to extend the range of electric lorries.

For the moment, the side walls are moved and locked into position by hand – with the trailer shape change taking no more than 20 seconds. But plans are being taken forward to develop an automated system to allow the driver to move the walls at the touch of a button.

Sam recognises that time-pressed drivers will more likely welcome the new shape-shifting trailer system if it makes their lives easier and promises to improve safety when on the road. Moving the walls reduces a driver’s blind spots to the rear of the lorry, and makes it less likely for a lighter vehicle with a large box at the back to be affected by crosswinds on exposed roads.

He also appreciates that making a lorry more aerodynamic should not place too much demand on the driver. Sam originally proposed that drivers place a ‘boat tail’ structure at the back of their lorry to reduce drag, but hauliers reported that drivers want to minimise the number of tasks they need to achieve before moving on to the next job.

From racing cars to logistics

Sam was part of the Edinburgh University Formula Student racing car design team; leading on aerodynamics and ergonomics, before co-founding Aeroflow three years ago with Luke Sala and Jonah Mack.

He taught himself computational fluid dynamic software, and spent a nine month internship with a start-up aerospace company, whose boss urged Sam to pursue his idea of applying some of what he had learnt making racing cars more aerodynamic to lorries.

“I wondered why no-one else was doing something about this, because the rear of trailers causes a huge wake at the back.”

While developing ideas for the shape-shifting lorry, he built a small model and tested it inside a mini wind tunnel in his living room, complete with a nightclub smoke machine, to capture images of the reduced drag when side walls are moved inward.

Sam sees an opportunity to win more support from hauliers for his system with the impending Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool from the European Commission, insisting that trailer manufacturers reduce carbon emissions by 10% by 2030.

He also plans to franchise the manufacture of his shape-shifting trailers to companies in several regions of the world.

Reaching this point in his innovation journey has not been easy. “I started by contacting 10 logistics and haulage firms, and was ignored by them all. But when I sent a text to one chief executive and told him how much I could save him, he responded inside an hour.

“Half of all trailers could theoretically use this system,” he adds. “The design could also be scaled down for used by any enclosed vehicle, including vans.”

Find out more about the Transport Research and Innovation Grants programme.