Ex-Guard 2019 Q1 Newsletter

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

Lastly, the round tubing used by Ex-Guard ® has a relatively low effect on drag, therefore further reducing the negative impact on fuel economy. Overall, the combination of Ex-Guard's de- sign and the low air speed at the front of the vehicle, enable Ex-Guard 00, 25, 50, and 95 designs to have near zero or only minor effects on the fuel economy respectively. NOTE: Other brands of grille guards may not perform as well with fuel the economy as the Ex-Guard ® systems. This will be especially true of larger and more bluntly shaped grille guards. Grille guards that mount closer to the front of the vehicle, use more bluntly shaped materials, or block airflow with bracing or vertical risers will all perform worse with fuel economy. Un i ts of Measurement Units of gal/1000 miles are the most reliable units of measure- ment for aerodynamic fuel savings due to their scientific and mathematical relationship to fuel consumption. Conc lus i on The 50 design, with greater front-end vehicle coverage, only resulted in a fuel economy loss of -0.53 gal/1000 miles. "Overall, by having only a minor effect on fuel economy, the Ex-Guard grille guards should provide fleets the confidence to pursue products based on operational costs as opposed to fuel economy losses." - MVTS Fuel Economy Experts

FUEL ECONOMY TEST - REAL LIFE TESTING

Cal culat i ng Total Sav i ngs or Cost wi th E x - Guard

00 and 25 Designs No effect on fuel economy, therefore zero cost in fuel.

50 and 95 Designs At 125,000 miles traveled annually, the fuel used would be 66 gallons, .5GAL/1000 miles.

FINANCIAL IMPACT CALCULATION -66 gallons/year x $3.178/gal = $210/yr fuel cost

Using the average retail cost of diesel fuel in the U.S. in 2018 at $3.178 /gal, this amounts to $210 annually in fuel per truck.

WHY E X - GUARDS HAD ONLY A SMAL L E F F ECT ON FUE L ECONOMY

T O TA L A D D I T I O N A L C O S T 00 or 25 D E S I G N $ 0 / YEAR T O TA L A D D I T I O N A L C O S T 50 or 95 D E S I G N $ 210 / YEAR

The reader may be surprised by Ex-Guard’s minimal effect on fuel economy and therefore the topic is worth further discus- sion. Typically, interfering with the airflow on a vehicle can impact fuel economy significantly, however, the Ex-Guard ® products have some advantages that minimize this. First, air- flow at the front of the truck is relatively slow due to the blunt face of the vehicle, which causes the airflow speed to decrease considerably. Aerodynamicists refer to this as a “high-pressure area”. This situation results in less air flowing past the Ex- Guard system and therefore its effect on aerodynamic drag is reduced. Secondly, the Ex-Guard is mounted several inches away from the front of the vehicle, allowing the air that does impact the front of the vehicle to continue flowing as needed (i.e. left, right, up, down).