At ACT Expo in Anaheim, Shell announced that Shell Starship 3.0 will be updated with a Cummins X15N natural gas engine (earlier post) that will run on Shell Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Demonstration runs will be conducted this summer.

The Starship initiative, launched in 2018, is intended to demonstrate how a Class 8 truck’s energy usage can be reduced by harnessing currently available energy-efficient technologies and lubricants. Like the first two versions, the new Starship 3.0 will capitalize on some of the latest available technology, including being powered by renewable natural gas.

Shell Starship 3.0 will include components and features that promote lightweighting and low aerodynamic drag, along with low rolling resistance tires from Bridgestone. The interior of the truck has been updated to make it comfortable for the driver on the road and inviting for passengers along for the ride.

Shell Starship 3.0 will make a demonstration run on the West Coast in preparation for a cross-country demonstration run from San Diego, California, to Jacksonville, Florida in August. The two previous cross-country runs have followed this route. The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) will again monitor and verify the results.

In its 2021 run, Starship 2.0 achieved 10.8 miles per gallon on that journey, up from 8.94 mpg in the 2018 run with Starship 1.0.

Starship 2.0

Starship 3.0 will deliver a material demonstration of sustainable freight ton efficiency, utilizing the key performance metric, ton-miles of goods shifted per kilogram of CO₂ emitted. The truck will showcase how fleets today can reduce their energy usage and carbon emissions, without losing focus on the cost of their operations. The natural gas engine using Shell R-CNG will reduce emissions when compared with a diesel engine.

Additional details about the equipment on Shell Starship 3.0 and information about the test drivers will be announced soon.