Aramco launches low carbon truck

16 / 12 / 2019

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Saudi company Aramco recently unveiled to the public for the first time its low CO2 Class 8 heavy-duty truck that utilizes one of the company’s flagship technologies, a mobile carbon capture system that dramatically reduces CO2 emissions at the tailpipe.

The truck, on display at the SAE Innovations in Mobility conference in suburban Detroit, employs a number of carbon emissions reducing technologies to drop carbon emissions to an estimated 50% of the baseline vehicle.

The largest reduction comes from the mobile carbon capture system that was integrated into a Volvo VNL400 Class 8 truck. The system has demonstrated a CO2 capture rate of over 40% in the laboratory, and it will soon undergo road tests as part of Aramco’s efforts to develop technologies that improve the sustainability of transportation.

“This system offers a compelling option to reduce carbon emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. It is a potentially game changing technology that offers the potential for deep decarbonization of the transport sector,” said Esam Hamad, leader of the mobile carbon capture program.

Aramco’s previous mobile carbon capture research has included demonstration systems on a Ford F250 and Toyota Camry. Incorporating the latest technologies developed by Aramco, the most recent commercial truck demonstrator substantially increases the potential to reduce CO2 emissions in transport.

To reach 50% CO2 emissions reduction, the truck also incorporates a number of other innovative technologies. Volvo offers both a liftable axle and engine turbocompounding to raise the efficiency of the truck and these both appear on the demonstrator.

In addition, Aramco has outfitted the vehicle with single-wide, low rolling resistance tires, as well as a low friction engine lubricant, and plans to convert the engine to run on a lower carbon content gasoline in the future.