Freightliner’s Supertruck Doubles Tractor-Trailer Fuel Economy

Back in December, I wrote about the government’s efforts to improve the fuel economy of the thousands of tractor-trailer trucks that crowd our highways accounting for millions of gallons of diesel fuel and tons of carbon emissions. One prong of this effort was a five-year $115 million DOE project that challenged truck makers to see if they could achieve a 50% reduction in fuel consumption.

Now, Freightliner has announced their success, as they unveiled their Supertruck.

The 65,000 pound semi, which is powered by an 11-liter hybrid diesel engine, and shrouded with a bevy of aerodynamic features, comfortably surpassed the target by 15%, with a demonstrated fuel economy of 12.2 mpg, more than twice the average of trucks on the road today. The test drive was performed between Dallas and San Antonio Texas.

To continue reading, click here

Image courtesy of Freightliner

RP Siegel, author and inventor, shines a powerful light on numerous environmental and technological topics. He has been published in business and technical journals and has written three books. His third, co-authored with Roger Saillant, is Vapor Trails, an eco-thriller that is being adapted for the big screen. RP is a professional engineer – and a prolific inventor, with 50 patents, numerous awards, and several commercial products. He is president of Rain Mountain LLC and is an active environmental advocate in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. In addition to Justmeans, he writes for Triple Pundit, ThomasNet News, and Energy Viewpoints, occasionally contributing to Mechanical Engineering, Strategy + Business, and Huffington Post.