LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There’s good news on the fuel economy front for fleets and truck operators. The latest Kenworth T680 Advantage has gained up to 10 percent* in fuel efficiency compared to a standard Kenworth T680 built in 2013.
“That’s a huge benefit for customers, and why we call it the T680 Advantage,” said Kevin Baney, Kenworth chief engineer. “We’re constantly exploring ways to push fuel economy to new horizons.”The 10 percent gain equates to a yearly savings of more than $4,600 in fuel per truck for the average long-haul operation. It’s one of the major reasons why more Kenworth customers are choosing the T680 Advantage. The current Kenworth T680 Advantage with 76-inch sleeper features the optimized powertrain combination of the latest PACCAR MX-13 engine with the Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-speed automated transmission, and fuel-efficient drive axles.
Also included is the special factory-installed aerodynamic package introduced last year with longer 76-inch sleeper side extenders, lower cab fairing extenders, front air dam, aerodynamic mud flaps, rear fairing without steps coupled with an air deflector, exhaust cut out covers, and optional wheel covers for drive tires.
The latest T680 Advantage compares to the 2013 version of the standard Kenworth T680 with 76-inch sleeper, 2013 PACCAR MX-13 prior generation engine, Eaton UltraShift PLUS transmission, and previous generation drive axles. Additional T680 Advantage fuel economy specifications include the Kenworth Idle Management System, tire pressure monitoring system and wide-base tires.
“Drivers also have always had a huge impact on fuel economy,” stressed Baney. “It’s why we continue to come out with new advancements to help reduce the variability from driver to driver. Our biggest contributor is Kenworth’s new predictive cruise control, which will be an option starting mid-year for new T680s and T880s equipped with the PACCAR MX-13 engine. Thanks to GPS, this predictive cruise control can anticipate the terrain ahead and ensure that the engine and transmission are operating in the most efficient mode.
It can then make subtle adjustments in speed. For example, it can feather off the throttle automatically when the truck is about to crest a hill. This uses the truck’s momentum to ride up and over, then uses its own weight and momentum to gain speed down the hill without adding power like a static cruise control would provide,” said Baney. “And, based on what the predictive cruise ‘sees’ on the downhill slope, it could automatically tell the transmission to go into neutral coast mode. With this, there is no transmission drag and the truck is free rolling to get back up to speed quicker – again, saving fuel.”
Contact your MHC dealer for more details on the Kenworth T680 Advantage.
Kenworth Truck Company is a PACCAR company and the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth’s website is Kenworth.com.
*Individual fuel economy improvement will vary depending on use, road conditions and other factors.