Mack to Participate in SuperTruck Development

Fri August 19, 2011
Truck and Trailer Guide

Mack Trucks Inc. will participate in the development of technologies to improve the freight-moving efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of a SuperTruck contract with the U.S. Department of Energy under which the Volvo Group, of which Mack is a part, is scheduled to receive $19 million in federal funding.

Mack builds its trucks in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, at the company’s Macungie Assembly Operations. R&D work under the SuperTruck program will be conducted over the next five years in Greensboro, N.C., where Mack is headquartered, and in Hagerstown, Md., where all of the company’s engines and transmissions are assembled. Areas of focus will include heavy-duty truck prototypes aimed at moving more freight with less fuel, with a particular emphasis on improved aerodynamics and energy conversion efficiency.

Mack has been participating in other DOE- funded heavy vehicle fuel efficiency efforts, and now, under SuperTruck, plans to capitalize on its long standing position as a vertically integrated manufacturer.

“Integrated proprietary components provide superior performance because they’re specifically designed to work together,” said Kevin Flaherty, Mack senior vice president, U.S. and Canada. “Our EPA 2010 solution is a good example. The intelligent integration of the Mack MP series engines and Mack ClearTech SCR system delivers maximum fuel efficiency and near-zero regulated emissions. We look forward to bringing this kind of expertise to the SuperTruck table.”

Work under the SuperTruck award will be done in conjunction with supplier and university partners.

For more information, visit www.macktrucks.com.