TPI Composites manufactures structural composites for the development of the International® SuperTruck II

With faster development times, lower investment costs, and reductions in mass when compared to traditional metallics, composites are becoming more prevalent structural solutions as the commercial truck market migrates to zero emission vehicles. The replacement of steel and aluminum with composites can provide significant weight reduction and design flexibility, the International SuperTruck II demonstrates this by shedding 500 lbs. with the aero package when compared to the International SuperTruck I.

Todd Altman, Senior Director of Automotive at TPI stated “The combination of Navistar’s extensive vehicle knowledge combined with TPI’s advanced composite design and material expertise is demonstrated by the results of this U.S. Department of Energy program. We are excited to be a part of delivering the next generation of commercial vehicles.”

TPI engineers at the Innovation and Technology Center in Warren, Rhode Island collaborated with the Navistar team to design the structures, fabricate the tooling, and build the components. Dean Oppermann, Chief Engineer of Advanced Technologies at Navistar noted that, “TPI’s ability to respond quickly to design modifications and component additions allowed us to continue to develop the requirements late into the project and still have quality hardware that meet project deliverables. TPI’s design staff were able to effectively balance weight, cost, and functionality to meet International SuperTruck goals of Freight Efficiency with technologies that have near term business case feasibility. It has been exciting to see how far composite technology has come and where it is going, and I am proud to be part of this collaboration.”