Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/815349
commercial carrier journal | april 2017 27 'Better and smarter' Volvo SuperTruck's achievements in weight, aerodynamics and visibility pave the way for tomorrow's design BY JASON CANNON I f you want to drive a $2 million vehicle, you've got about two options: Jay Leno's 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing Coupe with his 1986 Lamborghini Countach in tow, or Volvo's SuperTruck. I took the latter. Volvo debuted its SuperTruck at the U.S. Department of Energy late last year, the fruits of its $40 million 50/50 partnership with DOE. e hardware in the resulting demonstration vehicle – not counting the cost of the engine, powertrain and certain components – carries a $2 million price tag, says Keith Brantley, Volvo Trucks' lead project manager for advanced complete vehicles. e goal of the initial SuperTruck program was to boost freight efficiency by 50 percent, and Volvo's Swed- ish-engineered SuperTruck hit 88 percent. Fuel efficiency improved 70 percent, exceeding the 12 mpg target; some test runs topped 13 mpg. Also, SuperTruck converts about 8 percent more of its fuel to usable power, based on a pow- ertrain brake thermal efficiency that reached 50 percent in some tests. Brantley says that even with all of the custom fabrication and one-off parts on the unit, 75 percent of the truck can be found on today's Volvos. "e other 25 percent, we just did better and smarter," he says. Weight savings and aero SuperTruck's exterior may resemble production model trucks, but underneath the cab's mostly steel skin lies a different story. An aluminum frame cuts chassis weight by almost half, but the truck still feels rigid. I couldn't tell the difference traveling up and down North Carolina's Interstate 40. SuperTruck, sporting wide single tires, is about 3,200 pounds lighter than a standard truck, quite an accomplish- ment considering that the additional fairings and other componentry boosted its weight. e roof, hood and side fairings are made from carbon fiber material. Trailer fairings, developed by SuperTruck partner Ridge Corp., were built from composite materials for stiffness and durability. Turbo-compounding system With weight and aerodynamic improvements, the truck requires less engine power, so a D11 engine was used in place of a standard D13. e program also turned into a T E S T D R I V E : V O L V O S U P E R T R U C K The SuperTruck profile is mostly a VNL 670, but its wider stance comes from a rear wall borrowed from a 780, which helped create a rear chassis flare that improves air movement down the trailer's side. That flare was put into production trucks with the 2016 model year. A composite skirt runs the length of the trailer and features liftable panels that allow for tire access.