Kenworth announced that it is working together with UPS under the U.S. Department of Energy’s SuperTruck II program, utilizing the Kenworth T680 tractor (seen above) and the PACCAR MX engine.
Goals for the SuperTruck II program include the demonstration of greater than 100% improvement in freight efficiency over 2009 equivalent products, and a 55% engine increase in brake thermal efficiency performance.
“UPS deploys advanced technology to efficiently manage the transportation of packages and freight. For the SuperTruck II project, UPS will provide guidance on their drive and duty cycles to drive SuperTruck II performance. UPS will also offer advice on the commercial feasibility and driver acceptance of technologies developed under SuperTruck II,” said Mike Dozier, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president. “This important program is designed to produce advancements that will benefit fleets and truck operators with future reductions in fuel usage and emissions.”
“The UPS collaboration with Kenworth is an opportunity to study cutting-edge technologies in our real-world truck applications, expand the boundaries beyond what is possible today, and further enhance performance and efficiency,” said Bill Brentar, director of maintenance and engineering for transportation equipment for UPS at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. “This initiative will also help support UPS’s sustainability commitment to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from global ground operations 12% by 2025.”
PACCAR joins four other SuperTruck II teams working to develop such innovative technologies designed to more than double the freight efficiency of Class 8 trucks. Up to $12 million in additional funding could be awarded for the Kenworth T680 and PACCAR MX engine project over the next three years, subject to annual appropriations by Congress. Kenworth says it is also working closely with the PACCAR Technical Center and DAF Trucks NV, a subsidiary of PACCAR, Eaton, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Mississippi State University, and AVL.
