AAS is a technology that controls the flow of air entering through the lower part of the bumper and effectively controls the turbulence generated around the vehicle wheels by operating variably according to the vehicle speed during high-speed driving.

As carmakers fight to secure better driving range from a single charge, they have found that aerodynamics plays a fundamental role. Thus, they’ve begun to deploy measures to reduce the coefficient of drag (Cd).

A lower coefficient of drag is also found to improve driving stability and reduce wind noise.

AAS is installed between the front bumper and the front wheels of the vehicle and is hidden during normal operation, but it operates at speeds over 80 km/h when the aerodynamic resistance becomes greater than the rolling resistance and is stored again at 70 km/h. The reason for the difference in deployment and storage speeds is to prevent frequent operation in specific speed ranges.

Also, the reason why AAS only covers the front part of the tires without completely covering the front is related to the characteristics of Hyundai’s E-GMP platform for EVs. This is because it’s more effective in improving aerodynamic performance to only cover the tire part since the platform floor is flat.

AAS can also operate at speeds over 200 km/h. This was possible thanks to the application of rubber material on the lower part, which reduces the risk of external objects splashing and damaging while driving at high speeds and ensures durability.

In their internal tests, they have found that the AAS has reduced the coefficient of drag in their GB60 by 0.008 or around 2.8 percent. This is a figure that can expect an additional range improvement of about 6 kilometers.

Hyundai Motor and Kia have applied for related patents in South Korea and the United States, and plan to consider mass production after durability and performance tests.

For now, the brands do apply various technologies, such as rear spoilers, active air flaps, wheel air curtains, wheel gap reducers and separation traps, to vehicles to secure competitive drag coefficients. The Hyundai Ioniq 6, which incorporates these technologies, has achieved a global leading Cd of 0.21.