The U.S. Dept. of Energy has selected Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) as part of a multidisciplinary consortium that will explore improving on-road freight efficiency for medium and heavy-duty trucks.
Led by Argonne National Laboratory, the consortium will work under the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) Truck Research Utilizing Collaborative Knowledge (TRUCK) program. The consortium’s goal is to improve on-road freight efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty trucks by more than 50 percent compared with today’s trucks. Additional U.S. consortium participants include Cummins Inc., Ohio State University, Purdue University and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“We are honored and excited to be a part of this team exploring important outcomes for our industry and our economy,” said David Carson, president of FCCC. “FCCC’s American manufacturing expertise, backed by Daimler’s engineering excellence, makes us a unique and ideal partner to help this group develop state-of-the-art technologies to improve freight efficiency.”
FCCC noted it will help the consortium focus on identifying opportunities for increased efficiencies in regards to internal-combustion and hybrid-electric powertrains, as well as improved testing and evaluation processes.
“The fuel savings promised by the technology advances under this program will help to combat climate change while advancing low-carbon economies,” added Ernest Moniz, U.S. Secretary of Energy.
