Volvo Trucks: Where Ambition Meets Efficiency
Can innovation change the heavy-duty transportation industry? That's the question posed by SuperTruck 2, a project driven by Volvo Trucks North America and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This is a story about ambitious goals, achievements, and the relentless pursuit of a more efficient future.
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The DOE initiated the SuperTruck 2 program as a public-private partnership with a clear goal: to achieve a 100% improvement in freight efficiency from a 2009 baseline. Volvo Trucks North America, led by Peter Voorhoeve, accepted the challenge with open arms. The result? A groundbreaking 134% improvement in ton-mile-per-gallon efficiency.
Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, shared his perspective: “Partnering with the DOE on the SuperTruck program is an exciting opportunity to push the technology envelope to see what's technically possible for heavy-duty transportation and what solutions can be scaled to production. It's equally important to understand what solutions can't be scaled to production. We're very proud of the results of our Advanced Engineering team. A program that pushes the envelope in every way - creativity, problem-solving, feasibility, and innovation.”
The design of SuperTruck 2 is really impressive. They made the front of the truck shaped like a wedge to make it go fast and smooth. They also used a cool curved windshield and made the cooling system smaller to use less energy.
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One of the key aspects of SuperTruck 2 is weight reduction. The truck and trailer combo managed to drop a massive 27,000 pounds in weight. This was achieved through a strategic decision to use a 4x2 configuration, which is less common in the U.S. but often used in Europe for payload efficiency. While the design allows for adaptability to 6x2 or 6x4 configurations, the focus was on a lightweight yet durable structure.
The success of the SuperTruck 2 was the result not only of Volvo Trucks' innovation. They teamed up with a trailer company to make a custom lightweight trailer. When they put all the parts of the semi-truck together, it was like a perfect combo, presenting the appearance of a single unit, further reducing drag.
Getting how these new ideas worked in the real world was super important. Voorhoeve said, "We made sure to test SuperTruck 2 in real driving situations."
SuperTruck 2 is changing the trucking world. It's proof that when you put smart thinking and real dedication together, you can make some amazing stuff happen. The cool tech from this project is all set to shake things up in trucking and give the industry a new look.
by Stuart Nelson
