I am one of a handful of people on Earth who can say they’ve driven a Starship 3.0.
“Sounds like you are going to Mars,” a buddy said when I told them about it.
The Shell Starship 3.0 looks like a spaceship on 18 wheels, hugging the road.
Getting into the truck is similar to entering a small aircraft, with a set of stairs deployed from the passenger side of the cab. The driver’s side has no door.
Inside, the cabin is more lounge and chill-out space than traditional truck cab. The large semicircular couch that can be pulled out into a bed provides comfortable seating. A flatscreen television adds to the experience. ‘Starship’ stitched onto the back of the seats and splashed across the door panels are a nice touch.
From behind the wheel, the hood seems to extend forever, thanks to its aerodynamic design.
Powered by a Cummins X15N natural gas engine that can run on renewable natural gas if available, it sounds like a diesel, but there’s no smell of fuel in the cabin.
Screens on both sides within the cab work as mirrors relaying information provided by cameras mounted outside. Infrared technology provides an extra layer of safety during low-vision and nighttime operations.
The truck was easy to maneuver through the Barber Proving Ground in Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. I kept a gentle pace, under the watchful eye of Eric, its usual driver. There was nothing unusual, and it drove like a normal diesel vehicle.
That’s where normalcy ends. Last year, the truck achieved notable numbers while hauling 80,000 pounds during a demonstration.
It achieved improvements over the U.S. average for diesel Class 8 trucks of 2.54 times better freight ton efficiency (FTE) assessed on a ton-miles per gallon basis and 3.23 times better FTE assessed on a ton-miles per kg of CO2e emitted basis.
How does the Shell Starship 3.0 sip fuel? An aerodynamic cab and trailer help. The powertrain and driveline components are designed to be lightweight with low aerodynamic drag. Low-rolling resistance tires from Bridgestone contribute as well.
Ryan Manthiri, project leader at Shell, said they took as much weight off the truck as possible and lightweight components were used to build the chassis.
The curved windshield, aerodynamic headlamps, chassis fairings, and trailer skirts work together on the vehicle. “We want to reduce the amount of turbulent airflow zones in, under and over the truck,” he said.
A sustainable feature on the vehicle is solar panels on the trailer’s roof that provide power to some of the truck’s auxiliary systems.
The engine’s lifeblood is Shell Rotella NG Plus SAE 5W-30 FA-4 synthetic engine oil. The low-viscosity oil reduces flow resistance and friction, leading to better fuel economy without compromising protection and efficiency.
The truck uses Shell Spirax S6 GME 40 in its transmission. The synthetic lubricant is formulated to protect high-torque transmissions paired with increased horsepower engines.
Savings for fleets
Heather Duffey, global integrated marketing communications manager, Shell, said that except for the cab, everything on the vehicle is something a fleet could add to their own trucks. “Fleets can actualize some real carbon savings, as well as operation savings,” she said.
The Starship helps Shell demonstrate how its engine oils can improve fuel economy, she added. The program provides a roadmap for achieving sustainability goals while maintaining operational efficiency.
Although the Shell Starship 3.0 is not headed to Mars, its goal is to help fleets burn less fuel. Helping our planet’s environment is a good enough destination.
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