PORTLAND, Ore. —  Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced recently that it has been selected to receive a $20 million award from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the SuperTruck II program.

The new award is part of a multimillion dollar, multi-year program to increase the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles while decreasing carbon pollution. The program will build on the success of the first SuperTruck initiative and accelerate the development of technologies that can more than double the efficiency of trucks across the country.

DTNA and its project partners designed a truck that showed a 115%  improvement in overall freight efficiency over a 2009 baseline truck and achieved more than 50% engine brake thermal efficiency.

“We are proud of what we accomplished with the first SuperTruck program, but we knew that there was more opportunity to make gains in efficiency to improve both the environment and the profitability of our customers,” said Derek Rotz, principal investigator for SuperTruck, Daimler Trucks North America. “Together with our partners, we will explore new technologies and realistic opportunities to improve the environment.”

The Energy Department has also selected three others to received the $20 million federal funding including:

• Cummins  — Cummins will design and develop a new more-efficient engine and advanced drivetrain and vehicle technologies;
• Navistar — Navistar will design and develop a vehicle and powertrain with electrified engine components that can enable higher engine efficiency and a significantly more aerodynamically reengineered cab; and
• Volvo — Volvo will develop and demonstrate a tractor trailer combination with lightweight cab that achieves the freight efficiency goal using alternative engine designs and a variety of system technologies.