When you think about it, transport trucks (tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, whatever you want to call them) really haven't changed much in the last 50 years. Sure they've become bigger and more powerful, but there has been no big improvement in their efficiency. With the huge mileage these trucks travel, it would make sense to develop efficient powertrains and streamline the exterior design to save fuel and money. Fuel is no doubt the truck drivers biggest expense, and with fuel costs going nowhere but up, a more efficient truck would sell itself. Of course we should also be getting more freight onto rail for long distances to reduce the number of trucks on the road. Trucks operating between a rail depot and the local area would be ideally suited to alternative powertrains such as hybrid or electric. There are hybrid buses out there already so moving that technology over to trucks should be pretty easy.
Fortunately there are companies out there working on this, and the article that inspired me to post this entry is here:
The Highly Sophisticated Transporter (HST)The transport truck is a great vehicle for a hybrid engine and green technology in general.
- Tons of space for batteries - less need to cram them into every nook and cranny to save valuable interior space like a car.
- A huge surface area available on which to install solar cells to help charge the battery.
- The trailer could help drive itself - motors at the wheels or even a simple drivetrain could power it as well as help charge the batteries through regenerative breaking. This would reduce the amount of power required for the tractor.
- Streamline the design. This is the simplest one of all, and I'm amazed that large trucks are still pretty much a box being pulled by a slightly more aerodynamic box. The HST shows what's possible.
Hopefully we'll start seeing some of this technology soon - not only is it more efficient, but look at how cool the HST is!
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