Experimental truck with xlite wheels gains 20% fuel consumption improvement

An experimental 40 tonne truck running on xlite wheels has achieved a fuel consumption improvement of more than 20 per cent during a trial conducted on the continent. According to xlite distributors Motor Wheel Services, the test was conceived by Andreas Loechter, managing director of Lifetime Technologies GmbH in Germany, using a standard MAN 446hp SZM TGX 18.440 XLX tractor unit, a Krone Profi Liner Eco trailer, xlite wheels and Michelin low rolling resistance tyres.

Lifetime Technology developed Lifetime CS, a unique system for efficiency enhancement and power maximization of engines of which the active ingredients of each step are perfectly matched, and a Sniptec eco kit were also used. The test route ran from Munich via the Brenner Pass to Sicily, a distance of 1,718 kilometres, and was overseen by the German Association for Technical Inspection.

On board telematics showed that a fuel consumption of 27.9 litres per 100 kilometers (10.1 mpg) was achieved — a saving of 22.8% on the amount usually used on the route. The 39,380kg load was standard freight provided by forwarding company Sponraft, and two drivers ran the truck in shifts.

Loechter undertook the test in response to a report released by Shell last year that suggested truck fuel consumption could be improved by 20 per cent by 2030. However, he believed that using off-the-shelf and cost-effective technologies, the same improvement was already possible.

He said: “The results achieved were really sensational especially when you consider how tough the route was. In terms of fuel consumption, the future can be realised right now if we really want it without the need for step change diesel technology, hybrid engines or the use of biofuels.”

John Ellis, managing director of Motor Wheel Service, added: “What the German trial has shown is that incremental steps like reducing weight on a vehicle, improving aerodynamics and increasing engine efficiency together add up to a huge decrease in fuel consumption. Even the smallest change, such as moving from steel to forged aluminium wheels, will immediately bring savings whether it be in terms of terms of extra payloads, improved diesel consumption or reduced CO2 emissions.

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