Daimler and trailer maker partner on European fuel-efficient rig
New European tractor-trailer setup promises real-world fuel savings of up to 20%. Photo: David Cullen
“>
New European tractor-trailer setup promises real-world fuel savings of up to 20%. Photo: David Cullen
“>
Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz Truck unit along with Germany-based trailer maker Krone have teamed up to put together a linehaul tractor-trailer they say delivers up to a 20% cut in fuel consumption compared to existing combinations.
The rig, rolled out at the IAA Truck Show in Frankfurt, Germany, consists of the latest generation Mercedes-Benz Actros over-the-road cabover mated to Krone’s new Profi Liner Efficiency, an aerodynamically enhanced curtain-side trailer fitted with low-rolling-resistance tires.
According to Daimler, the specific Mercedes-Benz Actros unveiled at IAA features an efficiency package that includes the latest generation OM 471 six-cylinder in-line diesel engine as well as the OEM’s Predictive Powertrain Control (described as an “anticipatory cruise control system”) and “A-label” low-rolling-resistance tires.
When combined with the new Krone Profi Liner Efficiency trailer, Daimler said “it promises a reduction in fuel consumption, and therefore CO2 emissions, of up to 20% compared to existing combinations.” A standard semitrailer-tractor combination from 2014 is the basis of the comparison. The manufacturers said that their second yearly “Efficiency Run” involved five fleet customers that tested the fuel efficiency of the rigs and verified the results.
Daimler and Krone laid out the various contributions that added up to the 20% efficiency gain:
Krone Profi Liner Efficiency: over 5% Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor unit: up to 6% Daimler Predictive Powertrain Control: up to 5% “A-label” low-rolling-resistance tires on tractor: 2 to 4%
The trailer’s aerodynamics were improved with new self-engineered Krone side panels made of impact-resistant plastic that cover all the sides, including those of the three trailer axles and a four-part folding “rear wing,” also made of robust plastic.
“In 2015, the first Efficiency …Read the rest of this story
