International SuperTruck II Reaches 16 MPG
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Navistar’s International SuperTruck II reached a fuel efficiency of 16 miles per gallon and a 170% improvement in freight efficiency compared with a 2009 baseline, the Lisle, Ill.-based company said June 20.
Part of a U.S. Department of Energy program, the vehicle managed 55% engine brake thermal efficiency as the project engineers also assessed total cost of ownership opportunities for individual technologies, as well as high-voltage electrification efforts modeling hybrid technologies that can be utilized for fully electric vehicles, the company said.
DOE is working with a number of truck manufacturers on the SuperTruck II program. The agency launched SuperTruck in 2009 in partnership with manufacturers to help develop prototype trucks with improved efficiency and environmental standards. SuperTruck II was launched in 2016.
International’s SuperTruck II was built as a hybrid vehicle featuring a combustion engine with high-voltage accessories and technologies, developed in partnership with Bosch, Traton Group unit Navistar said, adding that engine improvements were made in areas including combustion, friction, gas exchange and airflow through the engine.
A redesigned cylinder head with dual overhead cam engine and enhanced fuel system resulted in a 2% fuel economy improvement when compared with International SuperTruck I, it said.
International SuperTruck II includes a 100% composite box designed for minimum aerodynamic drag with lightweight, integrated cross members, controlled under-body flow with composite aero treatments, next-generation solar panels with connectivity options, and ride height control, Dean Oppermann, chief engineer, advanced truck, said in a statement.
SuperTruck II by Daimler Truck North America
In February, Daimler Truck North America unveiled its own SuperTruck II. Revealed at the Manifest conference in Las Vegas, Daimler’s SuperTruck II featured a powertrain that achieved 5.7% fuel economy gains compared with the SuperTruck I the company unveiled in 2015, as well as aerodynamic advancements.
Daimler’s SuperTruck II has a redesigned hood, bumper and chassis fairing to improve airflow, while the grille, air intakes and doors are shaped without sharp edges to compromise aerodynamics, it said. The company’s design and engineering departments managed to reduce the aerodynamic drag by more than 12% compared with SuperTruck I, it added.
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