Daimler debuts advanced aero truck and trailer

Updated Sep 20, 2012

Daimler Trucks announced an Aerodynamics Truck & Trailer initiative that it says provides a more coordinated aerodynamics design between tractor and trailer, and which can save hundreds of gallons of diesel annually.

The announcement was made this week at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover, Germany.

One component of the initiative is the new Mercedes-Benz Aerodynamics trailer, which Daimler says can save about 528 gallons of diesel and reduce CO2 emissions by five metric tons annually. The other is the Mercedes-Benz Aerodynamics truck – a Mercedes-Benz Actros with StreamSpace cabover – for long-haul and regional operations. The company said it could save 79 to 158 gallons of diesel annually and up to 1.5 metric tons of CO2.

The company plans to bring the products to the European market in the near future, but there’s no word on whether they will be sold in North America.

“All the experts expect fuel prices to rise even further in the medium to long term,” said Georg Weiberg, head of truck product engineering for Daimler Trucks. “On the other hand, while we cannot do much about fuel prices, we can at least influence fuel consumption.”

The Aerodynamics trailer is designed to lower the air resistance of the entire tractor/semitrailer combination by about 18 percent, resulting in 4 to 5 percent lower fuel consumption in real-world conditions.

The Actros is equipped with an air deflector on the roof, cab side deflectors and side trim panels between the axles. The trailer is based on a Schmitz Cargobull 44-foot (13.6-meter) refrigerated trailer with a refrigeration unit at the front end. The trailer side panels feature an opening at the rear end that steers the air in the direction of a rear diffuser that surrounds the rear underride guard.

The Aerodynamics trailer also features a “boat tail,” a rear taper designed to improve the air resistance of the entire tractor unit by 7 percent.