Daimler Trucks North America Continues Its Commitment to Innovation with SuperTruck

Thanks in part to a $40 million grant awarded from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is in the second year of an ambitious, 5-year research and development program focused on significantly improving the freight and fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks.

DTNA has unveiled a concept truck under the Freightliner brand called Super Truck.

According to the maker, it demonstrates “a wide range of possibilities for significantly improved efficiency of road freight transport in the future.”

Revealed at North America’s biggest commercial vehicle exhibition, the Mid-America Trucking Show, the Freightliner SuperTruck concept stands out among production trucks due to its aerodynamic shape – for a truck, at least.

But the SuperTruck is more than refined aerodynamics.

Reduced fuel consumption is achieved through energy management, an intelligent powertrain, a DT12 automated transmission and predictive technology that controls the vehicle speed using GPS and digital 3D maps.

DTNA says test drives have revealed the SuperTruck averages about 19 liters of fuel per 100 km (12.2 mpg) at a speed of around 100 km/h (65 mph) and a gross vehicle weight rating of 29.5 metric tons (65,000 lbs GVWR). Furthermore, compared to a 2009 baseline truck, the SuperTruck achieved a 115 percent freight efficiency improvement (measured in ton-miles per gallon).

The SuperTruck research and development project began in 2010. The vehicle greatly surpassed the Department of Energy’s aim to increase the freight efficiency of U.S. Class 8 trucks by 50 percent.

DTNA has already implemented the project’s improvements to aerodynamics to the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution and Western Star 5700 XE series-production vehicles. However, the company says ultralight materials are not economically viable at this time.

“The SuperTruck engagement is another component of our strategy to make future road transportation as environmentally friendly and fuel efficient as possible,” said Martin Daum, President & CEO of Daimler Trucks North America.

Standards for a Diverse Truck and Bus Fleet
To account for the diversity of heavy-duty trucks and buses, the Administration set standards for three categories of vehicles: