We’re entering an era in which big commercial trucks and long-haul big rigs might be making more dramatic efficiency gains than passenger vehicles. The Volvo Concept Truck, the latest version of a concept of the same name that Sweden’s Volvo Trucks showed last May, is one such glimpse of this rapid change.
Volvo highlights a 30 percent reduction in fuel consumption—and carbon-dioxide emissions—versus existing semis, due to a series of improvements that include the hybrid powertrain, working to reduce weight, rolling resistance, and aerodynamic drag.
The hybrid powertrain alone will save up to 10 percent, Volvo says, as it can shut off the engine for up to six miles at a time, or up to 30 percent of total drive time. The hybrid system combines an electric motor system and Volvo’s 12.8-liter six-cylinder diesel engine. A regenerative braking system recovers energy during braking or on any downhill slope steeper than 1 percent. With help from Volvo’s I-See GPS-based support technology, the hybrid system can anticipate upcoming terrain and road-speed changes and make energy-saving choices accordingly.
The Volvo project is one of many focused toward a rapidly evolving truck market—one that is much more efficiency conscious than a decade ago. That’s partly because of aggressive plans adopted last year to dramatically improve the fuel economy (and cut carbon-dioxide emissions) of big rigs between 2018 and 2027. This particular concept is the product of research between the Swedish Energy Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Volvo hasn’t released numbers pertaining to the truck’s fuel economy, its engine, or its battery pack; but equivalent projects from Peterbilt and Freightliner have boosted the fuel economy of loaded big rigs from as low as 6 mpg today to the 10-to-12-mpg range.
Meanwhile, some manufacturers—and potential manufacturers—are looking past internal combustion entirely. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has talked about producing semis (all-electric, of course) in the future. Daimler is working on an all-electric shorter-distance hauler. Another startup truckmaker, Nikola, aims to produce a semi that uses electric motors powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and a battery pack.
While other emissions and fuel-economy regulations might be revisited this year with the new administration and Congress, future truck regulations are not likely to be revised. The more efficient trucks that will be produced under the new regulations are expected to recoup any additional upfront cost within two to four years, and they gathered strong support from truckmakers and the trucking industry. In a world where the costs of a commercial truck are amortized over time and fuel costs are already the single greatest concern for companies and operators, leaner, smarter semis are a win-win.
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