SuperTruck 3 Program Participants Named

The DOE has announced which manufacturers will take part in the third SuperTruck program which aims to further improve freight efficiency.

by Sara Jensen

In April 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it would initiate a third iteration of the SuperTruck program which challenges OEMs and component manufacturers in the heavy truck industry to develop solutions to improve freight efficiency.

For SuperTruck 3, medium- and heavy-duty truck technologies will be evaluated, including electrification and hydrogen solutions.

On November 1, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced the DOE will award $199 million in funding for 25 projects focused on developing cleaner technologies for cars and trucks. Among these projects is the SuperTruck 3 program.

The funding is in line with President Biden’s announcement in April for half of all vehicles sold in the U.S. to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2030 while also achieving net zero emissions economy wide by 2050, reports the DOE in its press release announcing the new funding.

Companies selected for SuperTruck 3

The DOE has selected five heavy vehicle manufacturers to participate in the SuperTruck 3 program. A total of $127 million will be provided to the companies as part of the cost-shared project which aims to develop electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks as well as freight system concepts with the goal of achieving higher efficiency and zero emissions, according to the DOE.

Funding will be provided over 5 years and those participating in the program will match federal funding dollar for dollar. Per the DOE’s press release, the companies selected for this iteration of SuperTruck are: • PACCAR Inc. (Bellevue, WA) will develop 18 Class 8 battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles with advanced batteries and a megawatt charging station will also be developed and demonstrated. • Volvo Group North America, LLC (Greensboro, NC) will develop a

The Freightliner eCascadia includes features developed during DTNA’s participation in the previous SuperTruck programs.

DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA

400-mile-range Class-8 battery electric tractor-trailer with advanced aerodynamics, electric braking,

EV optimized tires, automation and route planning. A megawatt charging station will be developed and demonstrated. • Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (Portland, OR) will develop and demonstrate two Class 8 fuel cell trucks with 600-mile range, 25,000hour durability, equivalent payload capacity and range to diesel. • Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI) will develop and demonstrate five hydrogen fuel cell electric Class-6

Super Duty trucks targeting cost, payload, towing, and refueling times that are equivalent to conventional gasoline trucks. • General Motors, LLC (Pontiac, MI) will develop and demonstrate four hydrogen fuel cell and four battery electric Class 4-6 trucks. The project will also focus on development of clean hydrogen via electrolysis and clean power for fast charging.

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) participated in the first two SuperTruck programs. For SuperTruck 3, it aims to demonstrate the fuel efficiency and emissions-reduction capabilities of its fuel cell truck in regional and longhaul applications.

In the latest version of the program, DTNA says it will develop various technologies which demonstrate the ability of a fuel cell electric truck to exceed long-haul sleeper truck performance, efficiency and range requirements without compromising payload. Technology modeling, analysis, concept selection and design will be among the first steps the company takes along its development path. Several technologies and concepts will be evaluated before they are built and placed on the demonstration truck.

“Inaction is not an option. We remain laser-focused on our goal to electrify our trucks and to help build the necessary infrastructure,” says Dr. Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Senior Vice President Engineering & Technology at DTNA. ”Through DOE’s SuperTruck 3 program, we will be able to more quickly investigate high-risk, high-reward technologies to clear the technical pathway for their development and potential integration in series production - for the mutual benefit of our environment and our society.”

SuperTruck 3 designs are currently planned to be unveiled by the end of 2025.

Previous SuperTruck program results

The first SuperTruck program was initiated in 2009 with the goal of improving heavy-duty truck freight efficiency by 50%. All companies which participated met or exceeded these goals. In 2016, SuperTruck 2 began which looked to double the efficiency of Class 8 trucks.

Volvo’s first SuperTruck demonstration truck exceeded the 50% freight efficiency target, and the company says it is on track with its SuperTruck 2 project to more than double Class 8 vehicle payload-per-mile per gallon for productivity gains, as well as improved fuel efficiency.

While the SuperTruck program is a demonstration project, many of the technologies developed during the first iteration have been brought to market. For DTNA, these include the enhanced aerodynamics and improved engine thermal efficiency features found on the current Freightliner Cascadia.

Read an extended version at oemoh.co/SuperTruck3Awards. |

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