Shell's 'Starship Project' gears up for cross-country journey

May 3, 2018

Shell’s "Starship Project" is gearing up for a cross-country trip to highlight a range of efficiencies.

LONG BEACH, CA. Shell’s "Starship Project" truck has already logged 5,000 miles, and is gearing up for a cross-country trip to showcase ways fleets can improve their freight-ton efficiency.

The sleek tractor-trailer, initially shown in March, was on display at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. It features numerous technologies that allows the truck to go further with less fuel, including solar panels and Shell Rotella T6 Ultra 5W-30, a low-viscosity engine oil.

Later this month, the truck will begin a cross-country trip from San Diego to Florida. It will be fully loaded, and the North American Council on Freight Efficiency will validate the results.

The truck will make several stops along the way to its final destination of Jacksonville, where Shell will then present the results of the journey to the public.

The Starship is a partnership between Shell and truck maker AirFlow. It incorporates currently available technologies to create the “hyper fuel-efficient truck,” Shell said.

About the Author

Neil Abt

Neil Abt, editorial director at Fleet Owner, is a veteran journalist with over 20 years of reporting experience, including 15 years spent covering the trucking industry. A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., he began his career covering sports for The Washington Post newspaper, followed by a position in the newsroom of America Online (AOL) and then both reporting and leadership roles at Transport Topics. Abt is based out of Portland, Oregon.