Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2024 - 7

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS
Even the lubricants of the Starship
3.0 NG have been selected for peak
efficiency. According to Shell, the
Cummins X15N engine has been filled
with Rotella NG Plus SAE 5W-30 synthetic
engine oil, and the Eaton
Endurant transmission uses Shell Spirax
S6 GME 40. Shell states that this gear
oil is specifically formulated to protect
high-torque transmissions paired with
high-horsepower engines.
Even the nonmoving parts of the
trailer have been utilized to optimize
overall efficiency. The roof of the trailer
has been fitted with a 5,000-watt solar
panel array. According to Shell, this system
is used to charge the main battery
bank, which reduces load and parasitic
draw from the alternator.
The Starship 3.0 NG also features integrated
engine heat extractors along its
skirt and an automatic gap sealer that
eliminates all open space between the
truck and trailer. The trailer also has integrated
aerodynamic boat tails to reduce
drag. The lack of physical mirrors, which
have been replaced with Stoneridge's
MirrorEye camera system, also cut down
on the Starship's wind drag.
Staying in shape
By far the most striking aspect of the
Starship is its bullet-shaped body. The
cab looks like something Raymond
Loewy would have penned as a modern
interpretation of his famous
Pennsylvania Railroad S1 locomotive.
The Starship 3.0 NG's trailer also has
been optimized for aero efficiency.
The slick bodywork is made completely
from carbon fiber and features side
skirts so low that they'd look at home
on any car from the first Fast and
Furious flick.
Another unique feature of the
Starship's body is the entry door, which
hinges from the bottom like an airplane
hatch. It's a neat party trick that makes
the entry into the interior feel like
you're climbing into a spaceship rather
than a long-haul truck.
This effect is exacerbated by the
Starship's interior, which has a wraparound
lounge seat in the back and
twin captain's chairs in front. The windshield's
steep rake also makes the cabin
feel more elongated since the base of
the widescreen is much further from
the driver than is typical. If Captain Kirk
had to convert the Enterprise to longhaul
road duty, the Starship 3.0 NG's
cabin would be his blueprint.
Shell provided ride-alongs in the Starship 3.0
NG at Barber.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
On the road again
Last fall, the Shell Starship 3.0 NG hit the
road for an 840-mile (1,352-km) loop
around California. The goal was to collect
data for freight ton efficiency using
ton-miles of goods transported per kilogram
of CO2
emitted (FTE CO2
e).
According to Shell, the Starship 3.0 NG
achieved a figure of 2.54 times better
FTE and 3.23 times better FTE based on
a ton-miles per kg of CO2
e emitted than
the current national average.
The results of the test were monitored
and verified by the North American
Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).
The Starship 3.0 NG completed this run
while operating near the maximum permissible
gross vehicle weight of 80,000
pounds for a Class 8 truck.
A shining star
While the exterior of the Starship 3.0 NG
is dramatic, there is no one mechanical
aspect of the truck that is particularly
groundbreaking. But therein lies the
beauty of this truck. The impressive efficiency
gains that Shell has demonstrated
have all been realized using currently
and commercially available technologies.
In a world of ever-tightening emissions
regulations where OEMs and fleet
owners are pushed to find a silver-bullet
solution to reduce emissions in the future,
Starship 3.0 NG has proven that
we can meet many of those challenges
here and now with a range of innovative
ideas born from industry collaboration.
Matt Wolfe
December 2024 7
BOTH IMAGES: SAE/MATT WOLFE
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2024

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