In anticipation of the next phase of development of the Shell Starship initiative, Shell Starship 2.0 completed a final run in late 2022 as part of Shell Lubricants’ supply chain fleet, which has been evaluating various decarbonisation options for to highway fleets. The deliveries included a full load of Shell lubricants, including Shell Rotella, and completed diesel engine testing for the initiative.
“This drive gave us more insight into the impact of efficiency testing with different payloads and kilometers traveled, demonstrating tangible benefits for the freight industry as it seeks to reduce emissions,” said Dr . Selda Gunsel, president of Shell Global Solutions and VP of fuels. and lubricants technology at Shell. “We worked again with the American Council on Freight Efficiency to monitor and verify the results.”
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Shell Starship 2.0 successfully executed two voyages, traveling 3,670 miles on existing routes between the Shell Houston Regional Distribution Center (HRDC) to the Fontana Regional Distribution Center (FRDC) in California and from Fontana to the Regional Distribution Center in Atlanta (ARDC). These are routes that are typically driven by a standard Class 8 diesel truck and provide additional data that measures load ton efficiency and fuel economy.
The first of these runs, loaded with approximately 46,380 lbs. of Shell Rotella motor oil, drove from Houston to Fontana, where it was unloaded at FRDC. For the second stage of the drive, Shell Starship 2.0 was fully loaded again, carrying approximately 45,988 lbs. of product at the new Atlanta ARDC.
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On the initial trip from Houston to Fontana, the Shell Starship 2.0 achieved 241.5 ton miles per gallon for cargo ton efficiency, triple the average US freight ton efficiency for trucks, which is 75.9 tons per gallon. On average, the vehicle achieved 10.41 MPG in the drive, and its best fuel economy section was 11.2 MPG.
Meanwhile, the company reported that the Shell Starship 2.0 achieved 251 ton-miles per gallon for freight efficiency during its trip from Fontana to Atlanta. This also represented a roughly three-fold improvement over the average US freight ton efficiency for trucks. Shell Starship 2.0 achieved 10.92 MPG in cross-country driving and its best fuel economy section was 12.1 MPG.
Now that testing of Shell Starship 2.0 is complete, the company is ready to wait for version three.
Plans for the next generation of the Shell Starship initiative will be announced on May 2 at the ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Version 3.0 will use technology, advanced lubricants and include the new Cummins X15N natural gas engine to show its results in tonne miles of cargo shipped per kg of CO2 emitted.
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“Shell Global Lubricants is pleased to move forward with the development of Shell Starship 3.0, which will feature the Cummins 15L natural gas internal combustion engine (ICE) in an innovative truck design,” said Tom Mueller, Global GM Commercial Road Transport Lubricants. “The upgraded Starship will integrate a best-in-class aerodynamic cabin, trailer and tires with an efficient powertrain and propulsion line, powered by Shell Renewable Natural Gas and Shell Rotella low-friction lubricants.”
“Cummins is delighted to help advance the groundbreaking work of the Shell Starship 3.0 project by integrating the new X15N large-bore natural gas engine,” said Puneet Jhawar, Managing Director of Cummins Global Spark Ignited Business. “The growth of renewable natural gas supply and the addition of public CNG refueling sites is helping long-haul fleets recognize the environmental, economic and operational benefits that natural gas engines can provide, with minimal disruption to the its business model”.
Additional details about Shell Starship 3.0 will be provided at the ACT Expo, including information on technology and innovation updates and early plans for trials later this year.
This article originally appeared in Fleet Maintenance, one of FleetOwner’s sister publications.
