Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/741843
20 commercial carrier journal | october 2016 JOURNAL NEWS Truck, engine makers receive SuperTruck II grants T he U.S. Department of Energy last month announced $137 mil- lion in grants to heavy-duty engine and truck manufacturers for the development of the next SuperTruck iterations, including $20 million each to Cummins, Daimler, Volvo and Navistar. Peterbilt is working with Cummins again in its efforts. DOE announced the SuperTruck II program earlier this year, with a goal of doubling freight efficiency on Class 8 tractor-trailers by driving down fuel consumption. The program fol- lows up on the original SuperTruck program, which handed out the same $20 million to major truck and engine makers in 2010 to improve fuel econ- omy over 2009 tractor-trailers by 50 percent. "We looked at the SuperTruck proj- ect as a knowledge accelerator," said Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America. "What learn- ings could we take out of the project to bring it to our customer?" The grant recipients, like last time, will match DOE's $20 million with $20 million from their own research and development funds. The SuperTruck II teams each will be responsible for developing different technologies. Daimler will concentrate on full tractor-trailer aerodynamics, hybrid- ization and electrification of engine accessories, while Navistar will work on electrified engine components and cab aerodynamics, and Volvo will work on alternative engine designs and lightweighting. Cummins is tasked with developing new technologies to advance engine and drivetrain efficiency, while its partner Peterbilt will work to improve aerodynamics and rolling resistance. The original SuperTruck program resulted in three highly aerodynamic tractor-trailers built by Freightliner, Navistar and a Peterbilt-Cummins partnership. – Jason Cannon Full satellite TV access to premium and 100+ other channels. With EpicVue inMotion, resting team drivers can enjoy their favorite shows on the go. GET YOUR FLEET ON BOARD TODAY 844-EPICVUE (374-2883) | www.epicvue.com Where home rides with you. Untitled-41 1 1/21/16 12:54 PM The original SuperTruck program resulted in three highly aerodynamic tractor-trailers, including this one built through a Peterbilt- Cummins partnership.