Volvo just released a new video of its SuperTruck concept vehicle which the automaker says has achieved a 70 percent improvement in fuel economy.
The highly aerodynamic truck, which doesn’t have side mirrors, is the result of five years of development through the U.S. Department of Energy’s SuperTuck program.
“Fuel efficiency is at the heart of Volvo’s innovation and design,” a narrator says during the 4-minute, 23-second long video.
Volvo reports that SuperTruck’s fuel consumption rate during road tests rose to more than 12 mpg. Advanced aerodynamics, vehicle and powertrain technologies led to a freight efficiency improvement of 88 percent, the automaker reports, which exceeds the 50 percent improvement goal set by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The truck, with an aluminum frame, is 3,000 pounds lighter and produces 40 percent less drag. Fairings along the back of the truck and trailer cover the tires and appear to be just inches above the road. A commenter questions how tires will be changed on the road since the low-riding fairings cover the tires.
Solar panels on top of the cab power the battery and interior lights. An 11-liter proprietary engine produces 425 horsepower. During road tests, “powertrain brake thermal efficiency reached 50 percent,” Volvo reports.