Eco Factor: Electric “super-truck” for oversized green hauling.
Trucks usually are rated according to the amount of load they carry and their footprint on the highway, but those large numbers come at the cost of a larger fuel-guzzling engine that emits huge volumes of GHGs as well. The HST, or the Highly Sophisticated Transporter, is different not because it’s extremely large but because its large size doesn’t mean more pollution.
The HST features a proposed length of 29 meters and can haul a maximum gross load of 65 tons. The HST carries a diesel-fueled IC engine, which powers an electric generator that powers the electric motors on the two axles. Since the IC engine doesn’t power the truck directly, it would run at an efficient speed throughout the route. The diesel IC engine is supplemented by rooftop solar panels that charge the onboard battery pack.
The electric motors on the truck’s axles also act as regenerative brakes, generating electricity from braking motion and storing it in the batteries. The truck would also be aerodynamic and the slippery front surface which doesn’t have any windshield wipers as well would reduce drag adding to the fuel efficiency of the truck.
Via: Treehugger/AKMuthui
