The latest incarnation of Shell’s ultra-efficient concept tractor-trailer, Starship 2.0, has set a new record for efficient road freight.
Shell Lubricant Solutions created the original Starship to highlight how optimisations in every aspect of a tractor-trailer, from the tyres to the engine and its lubrication, can improve overall efficiency, leading to lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
Shell Lubricants’ Technology Manager for Innovation, Robert Mainwaring, said in a news release that stakeholders could select which of these technologies will benefit them the most:
“The efficiency testing with different payloads and miles driven demonstrate that efficient technologies have significant benefits for long-haul and shorter regional-haul applications. Fleets and owner-operators can evaluate which technologies are most beneficial for them and pursue them today to find significant fuel savings and carbon emissions reductions.”
One of the notable changes in Starship 2.0 was the use of the Shell Rotella T6 Ultra 5W-30 commercial vehicle oil, as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) generally don’t recommend 5W-30 oil for their engines, even though thinner oil can potentially improve fuel efficiency. This oil is not even commercially available yet, but Shell is already proving its potential.
According to the news release, on its field test from San Diego to Jacksonville, Starship 2.0 achieved a freight efficiency of 254 ton-miles per gallon, which is 3.5 times higher than the North America average. Fuel efficiency was also much improved on its predecessor, with it averaging 10.8 miles per gallon (mpg) compared with Starship 1.0’s 8.94 mpg and the North American fleet average of 6.4 mpg.
