HOUSTON — Move over, EVs! Shell Starship 3.0 is on a mission to prove there are efficient, eco-friendly alternatives to electric vehicles. The futuristic Class 8 rig, which resembles a sleek rocket, or perhaps a bullet train, is equipped with a Cummins X15 natural gas engine powered by compressed natural gas (CNG).
Before hitting the roads of North Carolina the week of May 13, Shell Starship 3.0 successfully completed a demonstration run along the U.S. West Coast last fall. According to information released by Shell May 16, the Starship’s goal is to show the possibilities available for efficiency and carbon reduction in commercial road transport.
As with previous Shell Starship demo runs, performance data will be collected to show the CO2 reduction and freight ton efficiency (FTE) capabilities of Shell Starship 3.0. These results will be monitored by a third party and verified by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).
“The Shell Starship initiative continues to provide guidance on ways that advanced, currently available technologies can offer road transport efficiencies to fleets and drivers,” said Tom Mueller, general manager of Shell Commercial Road Transport Lubricants.
“Gathering added performance data with the natural gas engine-powered Starship will build on the previous run and provide us more information to share with fleets about how they can reduce their energy usage and carbon emissions without losing focus on the cost of their operations,” he said.
Cross-country tour to launch May 20
Shell Starship 3.0 will launch a nationwide tour, beginning at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Las Vegas May 20-23. The truck will be part of the vehicle demonstration ride portion of the show, which focuses on advanced clean vehicles and technology.
Shell Starship 3.0 will then travel to the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth for this year’s Shell Rotella SuperRigs event May 30-June 1. The following week, the truck will make stops at Shell’s Woodcreek headquarters and the Shell Technology Center in Houston.
Next, Shell Starship 3.0 will embark on a journey across the U.S., making stops to visit key Shell partners and customers. The tour will end in early fall with stops at Shell CNG stations in California.
Shell Starship 3.0 is piloted by brothers Brian Rector and Eric Rector. These professional drivers, who have been behind the wheel of Shell Starships since 2020, have years of experience driving Class 8 trucks. Updates from their experiences on the road will be posted on various Shell and Shell Rotella social media channels.
Get to know Shell Starship 3.0
Shell Starship 3.0 contains components and features that promote lightweighting, low aerodynamic drag, and low rolling resistance Bridgestone tires, according to Shell. The truck operates using low-viscosity Shell Rotella natural gas engine oil and Shell Spirax transmission and axle oils. Shell’s May 16 release notes that low-viscosity lubricants require less energy to move throughout the engine while still providing the protection, efficiency and performance needed in harsh operating environments.
In addition, the release said, the Cummins X15N natural gas engine, powered by CNG or RNG (renewable natural gas) where available, emits less CO2 than a diesel engine, confirming the potential for different engine and fuel options to reduce CO2 emissions to fleets. RNG is a transportation fuel that can be derived from organic waste and is interchangeable with CNG and liquified natural gas (LNG) in transport vehicles.
“Shell Starship 3.0 demonstrated available efficient technologies and the spirit of innovation required to meet carbon reduction goals and help power progress,” the release said. “Industry collaboration is vital to help fleets meet their efficiency goals.”
Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.
