Starship: On a record journey with natural gas
ALTERNATIVE FUTURE Shell's futuristic Starship truck in America is currently being fitted with a new CNG engine from Cummins. The Starship 3.0 is scheduled to take off on its first demonstration trip this fall.
With the Starship truck trimmed for efficiency, Shell wants to show how economical a truck with diesel technology can be. A carbon fiber cab designed to minimize air resistance, including automatic sealing for a seamless transition between truck and trailer, and a 5,000-watt solar system on the roof of the trailer were just some of the features that enabled the Shell Starship 2.0 to achieve low consumption figures. With a payload of around 21.5 tons, the 400-hp diesel engine shone with a consumption of around 23 liters per 100 kilometers on overland trips.
Nearly CO2-neutral on the road
Selda Gunsel, president of Shell Global Solutions revealed that the new generation Shell Starship is equipped with an X15N gas engine from Cummins and, thanks to Shell's Renewable Natural Gas, is nearly CO2-neutral on the road. The Starship 3.0 will be almost completely reconfigured for its next demo run compared with the Starship 2.0, for which the tractor unit was almost completely disassembled.
The fairing to the trailer is also completely redesigned. The top now acts as a canopy, locking both sides when fully deployed for ideal aerodynamics. And the red X15N natural gas engine, which weighs less than its diesel counterparts, delivers up to 500 horsepower and already meets stringent EPA and CARB emissions regulations for 2024 and 2027, is now tucked under the Starship 3.0's sleek carbon fiber nose.
