A Stream of Air Under the Skirts of Kia

Kia and Hyundai introduce a removable skirt system that increases the speed and range of electric vehicles.

The “Active Air Skirt” (AAS) technology regulates the turbulence generated between the front bumper and the wheels. An active skirt remains hidden during normal operating conditions but activates once the vehicle exceeds 80 km/h and retracts again at 70 km/h.

According to the manufacturers, the effect is twofold: reducing aerodynamic drag during high-speed driving. Less resistance means less energy consumption and thus increased range, but the system also helps enhance the stability of electric vehicles during driving.

Hyundai and Kia announced that they tested this system on the Genesis GV60 and succeeded in reducing the drag coefficient (Cx) by 0.008, improving aerodynamic drag by 2.8%. Such a figure can translate to an approximate 6 km range gain, about ten kilometers per charge cycle. The related patents have been filed in South Korea and the United States, and the manufacturers are studying the possibility of serial production once durability and performance tests are completed.

Such mobile aerodynamic devices have become common in modern automotive industry: rear spoilers, active air flaps, wheel deflectors, wheel passage reducers, air flow separators… Fluid dynamics is a science that still holds many innovations. However, it is rare to find such devices in this part of the vehicle, and Korean automakers have certainly uncovered a particularly interesting area.

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