LAS VEGAS – The S13 Integrated Powertrain is from Navistar Inc. For its highway trucks the manufacturer’s latest new internal combustion engine. It’s the strongest signal yet that legacy truck makers are embracing electric trucks with zero tailpipe emissions.
Combined with an aerodynamic design, the new powertrain that will go into production in July 2023 delivers up to 15% better fuel efficiency than the current A26 engine and Eaton Cummins Endurant transmission in Navistar’s flagship International LT highway vehicle. The emissions profile of the new engine is awaiting certification.
The S13 represents the North American result of five years of global collaboration between Navistar and its parent Traton Group. Traton developed the base engine at its Swedish subsidiary Scania two years ago.
“Scania has been a good mentor,” said Michael Grahey, Navistar’s president of operations, as the new powertrain was unveiled to dealers, customers and media at Las Vegas International Speedway on Tuesday.
NOW WATCH: The restored Navistar LT on the track in Las Vegas
The S13 is being built at Navistar’s engine plant in Huntsville, Alabama, where Navistar has invested $190 million for the new engine and key components.
When mated to Navistar’s T14 transmission—the company’s first developed in-house—the integrated transmission system takes a big step toward Navistar’s goal of selling 50% zero-emission vehicles by 2030, rising to 100% by 2040 .
The future of electricity, but a long way to go for diesel
“Clearly, with Navistar’s product mix, electric medium trucks will make up most of the 2030 number,” Navistar CEO Mathias Karlbaum told FreightWaves on the sidelines of the launch event. “But we’ve said before that when the industry is ready for long-range electric trucks, we’ll be there.”
In the unveiling programme, electric trucks received little mention. However, Mark Hernandez, Navistar’s executive vice president of manufacturing, told FreightWaves that a Class 8 International RH battery-electric truck will be built for regional transportation at Navistar’s new assembly plant in San Antonio.
Navistar is expected to officially introduce the battery-electric RH next year. It quietly showed off a prototype at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in May.
Despite the supply chain disruptions, Navistar produced 50 medium-duty trucks a day at the end of July in San Antonio, Hernandez said. The target was 52 trucks per day.
The S13 can save $31,000 in fuel over 5 years
Presentations on the modular approach for the S13 — which will replace Navistar’s A26 engine introduced in 2017 — covered how Traton and Navistar took a clean approach in the powertrain alliance formed when Volkswagen AG, the Traton’s parent company, took its initial stake At Navistar in September 2016.
Traton was spun off from Volkswagen as a truck holding company in 2018. It paid $3.7 billion for the rest of Navistar in July 2021.
Orders for the S13 will open in October. The updated LT Series can be specified with the 13-liter S13 engine mated to the T14 14-speed automated manual transmission with a more efficient two-stage aftertreatment system. Navistar will continue to offer the 15-liter Cummins X15 engine with the Endurant transmission.
Compared to the first generation Navistar A26 engine specified with the Eaton-Cummins Endurant HD 12-speed automatic transmission, the new S13 integrated powertrain combined with the aero package delivers improved fuel efficiency of up to 15%.
The S13 compact powertrain is expected to be 11% more efficient than the current A26. It was introduced in 2021. The current A26 was 4% more efficient than the first generation A26 introduced in 2017.
The S13 is 30-52 pounds lighter than the A26 with the Endurant transmission. The S13 is the lightest 13-litre powertrain on the market, Gray said. It could save the fleet $31,000 in fuel over five years based on diesel at $4 per gallon.
What’s new at LT International?
The redesigned LT offers an enhanced aerodynamics package that includes:
Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and fuel filler seals allow air to flow smoothly over the edges of the body. Steering wheel locks and modified lower skirts improve airflow under the body by restricting it through the wheel opening. New roof extender improves airflow between tractor and trailer gap.
The updated front design adopts a homely look to the bumper and grille. It is compatible with recent updates for other international truck models.
Inside the sleeper cab, a 9-inch sleeper mattress and foldable bed help maximize cab space for off-road truck drivers when they’re not driving.
Electronic Parking Brake technology automatically applies the vehicle and trailer’s parking brakes if the driver forgets to set them. A steering wheel airbag is optional.
Modular approach
The S13’s modular system design allows for diverse offerings across Traton’s brands. This speeds up time to market and reduces production costs. The development of co-branding for the North American market provided the first example of regional adaptation and validation. The engine is mounted in practically the same way in the conventional LT chassis as in the Scania cab.
Work on the engine continued 24/7 around the world at Traton’s operations in Europe, Brazil and North America.
Gray said it wasn’t always easy to navigate cultural differences before Navistar became a member of the Traton family. He has worked on the engine program since the beginning when he was CEO of Traton.
Navistar has not disclosed its spending on the integrated powertrain for the S13 project. Scania has invested more than €2 billion ($1,993 million) in the award-winning Scania Super engine that is the basis of the S13.
Navistar offers owners an S13 package that includes integrated dealer software, included service products and repair maintenance contracts.
Editor’s Note: Corrects eMV production to MV production; It shows the fuel savings compared to the A26 engines and adds a link to Scania’s spending on the super engine that is the basis of the S13.
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Click for more FreightWaves articles by Alan Adler.
