It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s SuperTruck from Freightliner

Freightliner this week unveiled a futuristic concept vehicle, the SuperTruck, which it says has been in the works for half a decade. The introduction came Wednesday (March 25) at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.

Freightliner’s SuperTruck

It was developed in conjunction with the U.S. DOT and other trucking industry suppliers. Freightliner said in an on-highway test the truck produced 12.2 mpg, logged at 65 miles per hour on a stretch of I-35 between San Antonio and Dallas.

Details were few, although Freightliner promised industry press an in-depth test drive later this spring.

Under its skin, the Freightliner SuperTruck is an intriguing mix of current DTNA powertrain components and wholly new technology. The engine is a 10.7 liter Detroit diesel generating 375 horsepower and 1,375 pound-feet of torque. The engine features a rankin cycle waste heat recovery system, model-predictive engine controls and a hybrid driveline mated to a conventional DT12 automated manual transmission. The rear axle ratio is 2.28.1.

The engine is a 10.7 liter Detroit dieselThe engine is a 10.7 liter Detroit diesel

Supertruck did 65 mpg on the highwaySupertruck did 65 mpg on the highway

The engine features a rankin cycle waste heat recovery system.The engine features a rankin cycle waste heat recovery system.

SuperTruck has a hybrid driveline mated to a conventional DT12 automated manual transmission.SuperTruck has a hybrid driveline mated to a conventional DT12 automated manual transmission.

Inside SuperTruckInside SuperTruck

Inside SuperTruckInside SuperTruck