Shell’s Starship 3.0 NG Shines a Bright Light on Efficient Powertrain and Aero Tech

Powered by a natural gas version of Cummins’ X15 engine, the third iteration of Starship demonstrates how to optimize the efficiency of modern trucks.

November 8, 2024

Matt Wolfe

The Shell Starship 3.0 NG on the skid pad at Barber Motorsports Park. (SAE Media)

Innovation often comes a piece at a time, but what happens when you put all those pieces together at once? That is precisely the question Shell is attempting to answer with its Starship initiative. Now in its third iteration, Starship 3.0 Natural Gas continues pushing the boundaries of efficiency and emissions reduction by employing all currently available technologies and engineering advancements.

The Starship 3.0 NG’s trailer also has been optimized for aero efficiency. (SAE Media)

The Shell Starship initiative was first launched in 2018 with the aim of setting new benchmarks for the commercial road transport sector. The Starship 2.0 managed 254 ton-miles per gallon for freight ton efficiency (FTE), which is 3.5 times the North American average. Additionally, Starship 2.0 recorded fuel consumption of 10.8 mpg on a cross-country run, which according to Shell is nearly double the current fleet average in North America.

The 3.0 NG version of the Starship aims to take those figures even higher while also significantly reducing emissions. SAE Media was invited by Shell to Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama to see and ride along in the latest version of the Starship.

Old dog, new tricks

Like its predecessor, the Starship 3.0 NG is powered by a Cummins 15-liter engine. But therein also lies the 3.0’s greatest divergence from its previous form. The Starship 3.0 NG is now motivated by an X15N natural gas variant of Cummins’ venerable big block. Shell stated that the switch from diesel to natural gas was spurred by significant advantages in emissions reduction.

Renewable natural gas (RNG) is readily available and has a net negative carbon impact because it is derived from organic waste that may otherwise end up in the atmosphere as methane. According to fuel system supplier Hexagon, 98% of CNG vehicles in California run on RNG and roughly 64% of CNG vehicles nationwide are running on renewable fuel.

The X15N is seen as a major growth opportunity for natural gas as a commercial transportation fuel. “The launch of the Cummins X15N 15-liter engine will triple the addressable market for heavy-duty natural-gas trucks over the next few years,” said Eric Bippus, EVP sales and systems for Hexagon Agility, in an interview with SAE Media earlier this year. “This is a game-changer for our niche industry, enabling a powerhouse solution for Class 8 fleets traveling locally and cross country.”

Efficiency optimized

A walkaround of the Starship 3.0 NG’s bodywork. (SAE Media)

The Starship 3.0 NG employs just about every trick in the book to make the Cummins X15N work as little as possible. Bridgestone has supplied a set of low-rolling resistance tires for the rig, Eaton provided one of its Endurant 12-speed automated manual gearboxes and Meritor bestowed one of its FUELite Plus axles equipped with 2.64-ratio.

Even the lubricants of the Starship 3.0 NG have been selected for peak efficiency. According to Shell, the Cummins X15N engine has been filled with Rotella NG Plus SAE 5W-30 synthetic engine oil, and the Eaton Endurant transmission uses Shell Spirax S6 GME 40. Shell states that this gear oil is specifically formulated to protect high-torque transmissions paired with high-horsepower engines.

Even the nonmoving parts of the trailer have been utilized to optimize overall efficiency. The roof of the trailer has been fitted with a 5,000-watt solar panel array. According to Shell, this system is used to charge the main battery bank, which reduces load and parasitic draw from the alternator.

The Starship 3.0 NG also features integrated engine heat extractors along its skirt and an automatic gap sealer that eliminates all open space between the truck and trailer. The trailer also has integrated aerodynamic boat tails to reduce drag. The lack of physical mirrors, which have been replaced with Stoneridge’s MirrorEye camera system, also cut down on the Starship’s wind drag.

Staying in shape

Shell provided ride-alongs in the Starship 3.0 NG at Barber. (SAE Media)

By far the most striking aspect of the Starship is its bullet-shaped body. The cab looks like something Raymond Loewy would have penned as a modern interpretation of his famous Pennsylvania Railroad S1 locomotive. The slick bodywork is made completely from carbon fiber and features side skirts so low that they’d look at home on any car from the first Fast and Furious flick.

Another unique feature of the Starship’s body is the entry door, which hinges from the bottom like an airplane hatch. It’s a neat party trick that makes the entry into the interior feel like you’re climbing into a spaceship rather than a long-haul truck.

This effect is exacerbated by the Starship’s interior, which has a wraparound lounge seat in the back and twin captain’s chairs in front. The windshield’s steep rake also makes the cabin feel more elongated since the base of the widescreen is much further from the driver than is typical. If Captain Kirk had to convert the Enterprise to long-haul road duty, the Starship 3.0 NG’s cabin would be his blueprint.

On the road again

Last fall, the Shell Starship 3.0 NG hit the road for an 840-mile (1,352-km) loop around California. The goal was to collect data for freight ton efficiency using ton-miles of goods transported per kilogram of CO2 emitted (FTE CO2e). According to Shell, the Starship 3.0 NG achieved a figure of 2.54 times better FTE and 3.23 times better FTE based on a ton-miles per kg of CO2e emitted than the current national average.

The results of the test were monitored and verified by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE). The Starship 3.0 NG completed this run while operating near the maximum permissible gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds for a Class 8 truck.

A shining star

While the exterior of the Starship 3.0 NG is dramatic, there is no one mechanical aspect of the truck that is particularly groundbreaking. But therein lies the beauty of this truck. The impressive efficiency gains that Shell has demonstrated have all been realized using currently and commercially available technologies.

In a world of ever-tightening emissions regulations where regulators are pushing OEMs and fleet owners to find a silver-bullet solution to reduce emissions in the future, Starship 3.0 NG has proven that we can meet many of those challenges here and now with a range of innovative ideas born from industry collaboration.