Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/805422
April 2017 | Overdrive | 37 er, more complete fuel burn. These innovations found their way into Volvo's 2017 mod- el-year production engines. Offering consistent torque at a wider band – from about 900 to 1,300 rpm – SuperTruck's turbo-com- pounding D11 engine not only contributes to fuel economy but also runs qui- eter. You don't have as much horsepower on reserve with the 11-liter engine, but you hardly miss it. The weight and aero gains also yielded remarkable driv- ability. The truck glides easier on the highway, using the 65,400-pound vehicle's own inertia, gravity and low wind resistance. With 42 percent less aerodynamic drag, I was able to coast at around 60 mph up and down a negligi- ble grade for 1.4 miles. Volvo's iSee system, incor- porating the company's 12-speed iShift transmission and reading the road's topog- raphy, determines the best shifting patterns and acceler- ation points to save fuel when intelligent cruise control is activated. The system knew when I was coming down a grade, what that would do for speed and what was needed to top the next hill. When no throttle input is needed, iSee slips the truck into neutral. Sometimes the truck would descend a hill and crest another in neutral before coasting a short dis- tance. It would jump back into gear only briefly to give me just enough momentum to maintain a 3 mph toler- ance to my 61 mph target. Acceleration and shifting is seamless. Unless you're listen- ing to the engine, you barely know it's happening. Sight lines One of the first things you notice from inside the seat is the view through the huge panoramic windshield. Designers pushed the cab some 8 inches forward – about where a VNM cab would be – and raised it 3 inches. That allowed short- ening and sloping the nose and slanting the windshield for better aerodynamics. From the seat, you can't see the hood, creating a distinct cabover feel. Aero gains also figure in SuperTruck's use of a sophisticated camera system in place of mirrors. It still sports the legally required pillar-mounted mirrors, which Brantley says is its biggest wind-catcher. Just how seriously did the design team take drag? They elimi- nated the hood grip because Brantley says its drag was "measurable." I found the cameras as helpful as a mirror in almost every case, but they do nar- row your field of view, mak- ing backing a challenge. Still, it was easy enough to see down both sides of the trailer and in the blind spot. HVAC system To best insulate the cab, Brantley's team removed excess glass. The skylight is replaced by a sophisticated solar panel and interior LED light bank that reacts to changes in exterior light. "It gives you the same ambient light you'd get from outside," Brantley says. "But when you go under an over- pass or drive through shad- ows, it will dim and flicker just like a skylight would." A large solar panel built into the roof charges the batteries that run the HVAC. Battery-charging power also comes from a 10kW alterna- tor that siphons kinetic ener- gy from the drum brakes. On a full charge, the bat- teries can supply all the hotel- load and auxiliary power needs of a sleepy trucker for 14 to 17 hours. All that's needed is some sunshine and driving – and braking – during the next duty cycle to pump energy back into the system. The ignition works off an independent super-capacitor, so there are no worries about running the batteries down so far that the truck won't start. SuperTruck has been through fuel economy vali- dation tests, axle tests, trailer tests and complete vehicle tests, and its work is not over. Brantley plans about 18 months more of testing on SuperTruck before digging in on the sequel, which will share technology that's suc- cessful on the current truck. Even though it isn't a pro- duction vehicle, SuperTruck's innovation doesn't come without skeptics criticizing aspects such as the low skirts or the aluminum frame. "This truck isn't for every- body," Brantley says. "It was built for one reason, and that was to validate the technol- ogy, and it's been extremely successful at that." Jason Cannon is equipment editor for Overdrive. See his interview with SuperTruck designers at youtube.com/ CCJDigital. designers at youtube.com/ Two screens mounted on the passenger side allow the driver to see down the trailer's side and in the truck's blind spot. A screen on the driver's side provides other visibility. A composite skirt runs the length of the trailer and features liftable panels that allow for tire access.