Shell AirFlow Truck Company StarShip

[Shepherd777]

Building it now. Shakedown testing in the 2nd. quarter of of 2016. Regional testing 3rd. quarter 2016. Coast-to-coast record runs 4th. quarter 2016 or first quarter 2017.

More details will follow, but it's a conventional drivetrain.

A 450 HP Cummins diesel engine with an Eaton 18 speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) and a Meritor 6x2 (single) differential.

All wheel (tractor & trailer) Bendix ABS air disc brakes, and Bendix Wingman Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control With Collision Mitigation and Stationary Object Alert; Includes Front Antenna, Driver Display. Bendix BlindSpotter Side Object Detection System; Includes Right Side Antenna & Side Display. Basically, forward and side firing radar.

Many Active Aerodynamic features.
All-electric HVAC.
Full array of solar panels on the trailer roof @ 6000 watts.
Supercapicator diesel engine starting.
Carbon fiber cab.
Lightweighting.
All-Glass panel.

Hyper fuel mileage.

And we'll do it for a ship-load less than $115,000,000.00

I don't know how much build details I will able to divulge here, as the bad guys (the big truck OEM's) are always watching me.

[ME_Andy]

And why aren't things like this being sold already!?

[AbramWagner]

I wonder if it will mysteriously disappear.

[Frank Lee]

I like the illustration.

[Grant-53]

Transportation industries are very competitive.

[The_Jed]

Woah woah woah... who let the hipster play with the C.M.M.?

[aardvarcus]

Wow, looks great!

Will all the light weighting measures allow for a significantly higher payload capacity than a typical tractor trailer?

[Shepherd777]

Originally Posted by aardvarcus

Will all the light weighting measures allow for a significantly higher payload capacity than a typical tractor trailer?

We're hoping so. One of our key metrics is called Fuel Ton Efficiency. (FTE)

With a big truck, it doesn't really mean a thing if you get astronomical fuel mileage, say 15 MPG or so, if the trailer is empty. The FTE math is how many tons of freight can you haul from a gallon of fuel.

[Vekke]

I don`t see much futuristic look in that shell truck. What I also don`t understand why they want to make their own truck?. Without knowing I would say they aren`t using the best brains for the job just by looking that picture. And if that really costs 115 million dollars to make one consept truck someone has made some sweet deal there

[Shepherd777]

Originally Posted by Vekke

I don`t see much futuristic look in that shell truck..

Well then you must be blind in one eye, and can't see out of the other.

What I also don`t understand why they want to make their own truck?.

I'll explain it so even you can understand it. It allows Shell to remain at the leading edge of technology development, energy efficiency and sustainability

Without knowing I would say they aren`t using the best brains for the job just by looking that picture.

Obviously, you don't understand the picture. It is a concept truck breaking away from the conventional old-fashioned Class 8 truck. Like you said, "without knowing". Also, I designed one of the very first aerodynamic trucks 32 years ago in 1983. So I may, or may not have brains, but I do have over 3 decades of experience in building aerodynamic semi trucks.

And if that really costs 115 million dollars to make one consept truck someone has made some sweet deal there

Again, you're all confused and mixing things up. The newly announced Freightliner Supertruck costs $115,000,000.00 of U.S. citizen tax dollars. Not the Shell AirFlow StarShip. We are building the Shell AirFlow StarShip concept truck for considerably less than $115M, and using private funds to do it.