We've reported off and on over the past few years on some innovative freight truck designs, several as part of the "supertruck" program sponsored by the US Dept. of Energy, from which there have been developed some very cool truck concepts that might deliver big gains in fuel economy – if they can be commercialized. (See When will Super Truck Technologies ever See Commercialization?)
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| All exciting stuff, as where the Super Truck designs, a concept tractor-trailer from Walmart and more – now we just need some of the designs to make it to market |
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Not part of that program, but at least as impressive, is a new truck design sponsored by Shell Lubricants, in partnership with Airflow Truck Co. The new integrated tractor and trailer design, with lots of creative features, was first unveiled last year at the ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council's annual meeting in Atlanta, but relaunched recently at Shell's "Make the Future" event at Sonoma Raceway on April 20.
Developed under a program called Project Starship, the new truck concept uses a range of technologies to get maximum efficiency with reduced emissions. The result is a hand-built but street-legal, one-of-a-kind tractor-trailer.
The effort was significant, involving some 18,000 hours of work over three years. The Starship features a cab made from carbon fiber designed to move smoothly through the air and reduce weight. The carbon fiber construction is also used to make the hood, bumper, and front and rear side skirts.
Upfront, active grille shutters close and direct air around the vehicle when air flow isn't required through the radiator to keep the engine cool. This feature also decreases warm-up time needed for an engine in cold weather. At the rear, a boat tail reduces drag.
What's more, atop the trailer is a 5,000-watt solar array that charges up a 48-volt battery bank to power electronic components, including LED lights, wipers, blower motors, gauges, air conditioning and microwaves, as seen in the image below.
New Shell Truck is Aerodynamic, Uses Solar Panels On Trailer
A predecessor design from Airflow called the Bullet Truck was able to achieve 13.4 miles per gallon - about double current diesel performance - during a coast-to-coast trip hauling 65,000 pounds, Shell said in a release.
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CATEGORY SPONSOR: SOFTEON |
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Coming soon: Another coast-to-coast drive beginning in May for the Starship, in which the truck will start in California and travel to Florida carrying the maximum viable amount of freight within the allowed gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds.
During that run, a key metric will be freight-ton efficiency, or the amount of energy required to move a given amount of freight between two points. Shell and Airflow say they believe that is the most important measure of freight transportation efficiency, as maximizing a load while reducing fuel consumption will result in lower running costs and a reduction in weight-specific carbon emissions.
At the Shell event, Megan Pino, Shell Rotella global brand manager, noted that "We see the Starship Initiative as a material demonstration of how we can work together to realize these reductions in energy demand and CO2 emissions today," she said. Re
All exciting stuff, as where the Super Truck designs, a concept tractor-trailer from Walmart and more – now we just need some of the designs to make it to market.
Any reaction to this latest truck design from Shell? Will any of these designs ever see commercialization? Let us know you thoughts at the Feedback section below.
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