October 11, 2023, 1:20 p.m
PiataAuto.md editors
In a world where truck manufacturers are launching and updating mostly electric trucks, Volvo announces the completion of a project and the unveiling of a truck that no one really expected: Super Truck 2. It’s a one-of-a-kind diesel truck , which is announced to be 134% more efficient than a regular one. This means a consumption more than halved! Will this truck be a revolutionary one, which will soon go into production and give diesel trucks a new lease of life? Not. In fact, the history of the truck is much more bizarre, the numbers are less optimistic than they sound at first glance, and many of the technologies applied to it have either already been implemented in series, or are not very viable to reach production.
Let’s see what’s up with the big statement of 134% more efficient, first, which is the main one emphasized in the new achievement. Well, we find that, in fact, the 134% improvement in efficiency is compared to a Volvo VNL diesel truck from 2009, so 14 years ago! Meanwhile, series trucks, including those from Volvo, have improved their consumption figures by 15-30%, in some cases even more, without resorting to indirect tricks, as in the case of this truck. So if we were to compare with a current Volvo VNL diesel truck, the progress would be less than about 100%.
Photo: Current Volvo VNL
But why was 2009 taken as a comparison? Because this project dates back to the 2008-2009 crisis, when the US Department of Energy wanted to incentivize truck manufacturers to make trucks more fuel-efficient and offered significant grants to manufacturers who took on the challenge of was creating a demonstrator truck that was 100% more efficient than their own models from that year, 2009. The idea was that that government funding would help engineers and researchers develop new technologies, many of which could go into production. The project was one in two stages, with two separate grants, one with the target of 50% increase in efficiency, and the second with 100%. The files were accepted in 2010 and work on these trucks began in 2011.
Volvo created the first Volvo Super Truck 1 for 7 years, until 2018, and that truck had an 88% increase in efficiency compared to that Volvo VNL reference truck from 2009. And in the meantime, the development of the featured truck started now, Super Truck 2, which, still 5 years after the last one, finally shows an efficiency 134% higher than that of 2009. In total, from the initiative of the US Department of Energy, to the realization, 14 years have passed and it very likely no one expected Volvo to make this truck anymore.
Photo: 2018 Volvo Super Truck 1
So, what technologies has the new Volvo diesel truck applied to become more efficient and which of them would be feasible in real life, on production trucks? Remember, this new Volvo truck is functional and its consumption has been tested, so its technologies are also functional. The problem is that some have already been implemented in series in the last 14 years, and others are a bit too outside the industry standards.
For example, the truck does not have mirrors, to be more aerodynamic, but video cameras, with images transmitted inside. It’s a technology already applied to current series trucks and in this case Volvo says that it brought 4% benefits in consumption.
In addition, the windshield is different and aerodynamic, the central hood is narrower and more aerodynamic, moving smoothly towards the shapes of the cabin, and then these aerodynamic shapes were integrated towards the trailer. This too has been treated for excellent aerodynamic coefficient, with covered side areas and minimal ground clearance. The aerodynamics of the truck brought 50% benefits.
Ground clearance has been significantly reduced, and is now adjustable. At highway speeds, it is reduced to about 15 cm on the lower area between the wheels, and the side fairing almost touches the ground. This is probably less applicable in practice.
Equally difficult would be to implement the smaller 19.5-inch wheels instead of the standard 22.5 that this truck used, also for the sake of increased efficiency. In addition, tires with reduced resistance are also used. The wheels, however, are made of a light alloy to reduce weight.
The diesel engine received a small 48V electric motor with a mild-hybrid system to help with starts. The air conditioning system has been switched to an electric compressor, powered by a larger battery, so that no diesel is consumed either while moving or stationary for air conditioning. The cabin is heated using a heat pump. Even the engine cooling system was switched to an electric pump. All these technologies would be applicable in real life, by the way, and could contribute to efficiency including on diesel trucks.
In addition, Volvo also resorted to a few tricks. Since the efficiency was calculated according to the consumption per ton transported, so the payload was also important, the people from Volvo decided to use a special alloy for the trailer, to make it lighter and to give up a rear axle, transforming the truck from 6×2 in 4×2. The Swedes say that single rear axle trucks are not popular in North America, but in Europe they are, and they decided to put a single axle on this truck, showing that weight can be saved. And the bridge itself was also produced from light alloys. In the end, the Volvo Super Truck 2 ended up weighing 12.25 tons with trailer, in its own weight!
Applying all these tricks and technologies, the truck was tested traversing a predetermined route that included mountains, carrying weights and having a total mass of 65,000 lb, or 29.5 tons, according to the terms of the grant. But since the truck was light, that meant it carried 17.25 tonnes of payload, and so its consumption in tonnes was 134% better than the 2009 VNL. Not the absolute consumption in liters /100 km, but the consumption relative to the payload. And Volvo does not announce the exact consumption figure.
However, these projects also teach some technology lessons. On the one hand, it reminds us how important aerodynamics is in trucks. On the other hand, it shows that many of the technologies that could be implemented for the efficiency of diesel trucks have already been implemented in the last decade. And there is room for improvement, practically, only if they resort to things that are completely out of the industry standards, such as different trailers, wheels of different sizes, lighter and more expensive alloys in construction. And how many years did it take Volvo to do that, effectively a demonstration that the possible progress in diesel engines on trucks has been reached or is much more difficult further, with very high costs for the industry. And under these conditions, it’s even clearer why they are betting on electrics more in recent years.
See it all in the video below with this new Volvo truck.
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