Advanced aerodynamics ensure Volvo Trucks' SuperTruck 2 beats efficiency goals
Watch as SuperTruck 2 is tested in real-world conditions
SuperTruck 2, a Volvo Trucks North America project, has been unveiled. The program in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) fought through pandemic challenges and other issues to achieve - and beat - initial objectives for freight efficiency.
The SuperTruck 2 will make a public appearance at the American Trucking Association 2023 Management Conference & Exhibition, offering attendees a glimpse at styling and engineering cues for future generations of trucks.
"Partnering with the DOE for the SuperTruck program provides an exciting opportunity to push the technology envelope to see what's technically possible for heavy-duty transportation and which solutions can be scaled into production, but equally important, which solutions don't work for scaled production," said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. "We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our advanced engineering team who worked on SuperTruck 2. A program of this magnitude pushes the limits in every possible area - creativity, problem-solving, feasibility, and innovation, to which we feel we did successfully. Some of the technologies on SuperTruck 2 will most certainly shape the future of trucking and change everything we once thought possible."
The DOE SuperTruck 2 program encourages research and development work improving freight efficiency of heavy-duty Class 8 long-haul tractor-trailer trucks. Its goal is to speed development of cost-effective, advanced efficiency technologies. Participating OEMs were given the goal of demonstrating more than 100 percent improvement in vehicle freight efficiency (ton-mile-per-gallon).
Volvo Trucks took that goal and surpassed it. An internal stretch goal of 120 percent freight efficiency improvement relative to the 2009 baseline turned into 134 percent in real world demonstration.
The key for Volvo Trucks is advanced aerodynamics. A perfectly wedge-shaped cab front to back, including a raked and wraparound windshield, a front end designed around a downsized cooling package, a fully aerodynamic trailer with gap fairings, skirts, and boat tail, as well as an adjustable ride height all played into the success. Traditional hood and cab mounted mirrors were replaced with a streamlined camera monitoring system to reduce drag by more than 4 percent.
With those aerodynamic changes in place, the truck faced 50 percent less drag than the 2009 baseline, a 20 percent improvement over Volvo's SuperTruck 1. Around two-thirds of the drag reduction in SuperTruck 1 came from trailer aerodynamic treatments that included the optimized skirt and tail. SuperTruck 2 gained most of its aerodynamic gains from the redesigned cab.
Weight reduction strategies also came into play to reach a significantly reduced curb weight of 27,000 pounds for the combined truck and trailer. A shorter, lightweight cab pairs with an aluminum chassis using a lightweight optimized drive axle system and single composite driveshaft. Volvo used a 4x2 combination, common in Europe but not the U.S., using fewer axles for the same payload.
Volvo Trucks also worked with the project partner trailer manufacturer to incorporate a custom, lightweight aerodynamic trailer, and with a tire manufacturer for lightweight, smaller 19.5-inch advanced low-friction tires on both truck and trailer.
A 48-volt micro hybrid system acts as a generator with an integrated starter. It provides power for driver comfort features, including an all-electric HVAC system that allows the driver to avoid idling during rest breaks and still have power for amenities.
"The project team deliberately focused on driving in real world conditions for testing. Data wasn't just gathered in a lab or on flat, empty roads with optimal conditions and a light load. Instead, our SuperTruck 2 was tested in real-world scenarios on roads with traffic and elevation changes with a GCVW of 65,000 lbs." continued Voorhoeve. "This is the most aerodynamic and efficient truck Volvo has built to date, and we achieved a freight efficiency that demonstrates the potential for technology innovations to be developed commercially. Our engineers have already begun implementing some of the learnings from SuperTruck 2 into our future truck models. The future of trucks is just around the corner."
