Recently in Futuristic vehicles Category

Imagine a world where trucks have their own priority 'green lanes' And why not says Biglorryblog? I am gretaful to Two-Stroke for firing this over to me. It comes from Volvo Trucks and is part of their crystal ball gazing that's also delivered their 2020 Vision Truck and you can see it on this clip... Enjoy the future!

I've already booked my test drive...!

It's a dump truck Jim, but not as we know it! Regular Biglorryblog readers may remember that I recently teamed up with Allan Macdonald of DesignerTechniques, the highly-regarded Scandinavian-based website that teaches design skills, http://www.designertechniques.com/ along with Letraset and DesignSketching to bring you a fantastic 'Design a truck for the future!' competition - but one with an unusual twist. Instead of simply designing 'tomorrow's truck' Allan asked up-and-coming automotive designers to pick a non-automotive 'Big-name brand' (like Apple, Sony, Nike, Google or Starbucks), and research its corporate values whilst at the same time studying the requirements of a typical truck (in any world market).

Armed with that information they then had to create a truck design that "offers an improvement over the equivalent vehicle on the market today - but one that also represents and reflects the values of your chosen 'brand'." Besides that they were free to be as creative as they wished! Well BLB can now bring you not only the winners but also some of the other entries that caught BLB's eye.

First prize went to Flavio Michellod who chose Black & Decker power tools as his inspiration and produced a series of preliminary sketches before coming up with his finished design based on what he describes as the 'drill' concept where all the principle mechanical components are fixed to a tubular core - and like a drill the truck features electric motors and gearbox and has four support arms which take amongst other things the cabin and tipper body... So BLB's congratulations to Flavio - now click through here for more weird and wonderful 'brand name' trucks of the future!

More gas turbine truck stuff on Biglorryblog! I found this new early publicity picture of Ford's 'Big Red' 600hp gas turbine experimental truck and trailer combination from 1964 on 'Flickr'...not bad...also worth checking out the current activities of Truck Turbine Engines by click through here....

There I was quietly browsing through the terrific AdClassix website which has a whole load of US vintage truck ads from the 40s, 50. 60s and 70s. Out of curiosity I open the entry on the GMC Turbo Titan III and all of a sudden I'm hooked. Armed with a name I then google it and come up with this picture... And thanks to the Nextautos website (where would we be without the internet?).

I learn that the GMC/Chevrolet trucks Turbo Titan III was unveiled to a a stunned industry in 1966. Apparently it was built on a regular Chevrolet tilt cab chassis but with a fibre glass cab with all sorts of '60s futuristic interior styling. And sitting behind was a Fruehauf '20,000 rivets in close formation' traler with natty side skirts. Underneath the hood was a new GT-309 gas turbine which, while it only offered 280hp at 4,000rpm it had close to 1,152 Nm of torque just above '0' rpm! So it wasn't hard to get a fully-loaded Titan up and running. After appearing in various auto shows and a brief spell hauling GM parts it was eventually scrapped.

Meanwhile here's an ad for it that's on the adclassix site too... A rare colour shot from 1966.

And speaking of US Gas Turbine trucks I could hardly ignore Ford's Big Red experimental gas turbine tractor which I'm led to believe had 600hp. I recall blogging on it that it was used in a Coast-to-Coast publicity stunt.

Meanwhile, click through here for more Gas Turbine trucks...

Brace yourself lads, says Biglorryblog...it's a 'gasp' BEDFORD! "Howdy Brian", says BLB regular Ed Burrows. "How about 'Shapes of the future...that never came?' As the clock ticks towards your design competition closing date, I thought you'd appreciate some concepts I just happen to have in my possession from 1982-83."

Ed continues: "They are the work of the late Geoff Lawson, leading light at the GM Vauxhall/Bedford studios in Luton at the time - and, later, Jaguar's design chief. More than a quarter of a century on, they certainly hold up well against some of the me-too designs on BigLorryblog recently." And how true that comment is Ed because I reckon they're not only terrific they're timeless too! 

"And how about the curtain-sider...under-body aerodynamics! Formula One downforce for enhanced trailer stability and managing airflow properly! The stuff out there at the moment appears oblivious to the fact that air goes under as well as over and round the sides of a tractor and trailer. I have to confess to sowing the seeds of this particular idea, over after-dinner drinks!" says Ed.Now click through here for more Bedfords of the future!

Instead of simply asking you to come up with yet another futuristic design, as part of the competition brief we want you to pick an non-automotive 'Big-name brand' (like Apple, Sony, Nike, Google or Starbucks) that you particularly admire. Then we want you research that brand until you understand its' corporate whilst at the same time you'll also study the requirements of a typical truck (in any world market). Armed with that information you'll then create a truck design that offers an improvement over the equivalent vehicle on the market today---but one that also represents and reflects the values of your chosen 'brand'.  Besides this, you're free to be as creative as you wish!

The top entrants will walk off with some terrific prizes. Letraset is offering a fantastic selection of equipment for you to win, including markers from their very popular Tria range. What's more, the winning entries will also be featured in Commercial Motor, Truck & Driver and of course Biglorryblog! And as if that wasn't enough, the first-placed winner will also receive the fantastic opportunity to send their folio to Kristofer Hansen, Chief of Design at Scania AB for personal suggestions and guidance.  With many years experience leading the design of one of the world's most successful heavy truck brands his advice and feedback should prove invaluable in advancing your work. 

Sounds like something you'd like to have a go at? To find out more, and to get a copy of the entry form and the rules, click on this link and get designing! 

So is this the Kenworth (or the Peterbilt) of tomorrow? Biglorryblog has Jeff Parietti at Kenworth to thank for this artist's futuristic design which appeared in the background of the recent Fortune Magazine Video on Kenworth Aerodynamics/Fuel Economy (and which I blogged recently but if you missed it click on this link http://money.cnn.com/video/ then search for 'Not your father's big rig' from the archive list of video clips).

The 3-minute video on Kenworth Aerodynamics and Fuel Economy on CNNMoney.com (a service of Fortune includes interviews with Kenworth General Manager Bill Kozek and Chief Engineer Preston Feight with footage from the Kenworth R&D Center. Fortune Magazine also plans to feature Kenworth Aerodynamics/Fuel Economy in an upcoming print issue.

Seeing as how futuristic trucks seem to float the canoes of various Biglorryblog contributors and readers I found these in my picture file and thought they deserved another trot out...starting with the angular Daf XFC 'Xtreme Future Concept' tractor...who knows maybe this is actually the XF105 replacement!

Next we have the equally knife-edged Forumla 1 artic from Mercedes from the pen of Biglorryblog's favourite truck designer Bertrand Janssen the father of the Daf Super Space cab and Merc's fabulous Actros Space Max.

But if you're talking about concept trucks there's really only one geezer that takes the top prize....and that's the wonderful Luigi Colani the radical autmotive designer who in the 80s developed a whole string of concept future artics including these two---the one of the left was powered by a Daf drivetrain, the one on the right by Mercedes bits....and click through here for more from Mr Colani! 

Welcome to the future my friends... and the fabulous Vision 2010 concept truck from Volvo! Biglorryblog has Aina Nilsson Ström,design director at AB Volvo to thank for this trip into the world of 21st century trucking. BLB witnessed a most engaging presentation from Aina at the recent Truck & Bus World Forum having been lucky to be one of the session chairmen--and Aina's presentation was on the role of aerodynamics in maximising truck efficiency. Amongst her slides was this selection of Vision 2020 and she's also sent me an animated video clip which I'll also post up shortly. But back to your journey...

It's a while since I did anything on renault and as I was browsing through their website looking for details on the OptiFuel concept artic (which I blogged on a short while ago) I was reminded of the wonderful radical Renault Radiance futuristic design study---although frankly I reckon this could jjst as easily be the new Premium in 10 years time! It certainly looks believable--unlike many other artist's studies...

I can see this on the M6 in 10 or 15 year's time...can;t you? (THough obviously driving on the other side of the road!) Dimensionally it looks just about right to me...

Nice uncluttered back and smoothly fared-in side valances....

Not so sure about the interior but I suspect people said that about the original Citroen DS21!!!!

Now click through here for some more shots of the Radiance...

SCOOP!!!! Well not quite as we ran spy pictures of Mercs new heavies in Commercial Motor back in November 2007!  Anyroadup, having been sent these latest 'spy photos' from a bloke sitting in a bush somewhere near the Merc truck plant I thought I'd share them with you on Biglorryblog...and also update you concerning their likely launch and 'go-bits'  What you see here is the protoype full-width, high-datum, 'Big Cab' replacement to Actros. As for the box on the back of the rigid below--it's obviously a local bit of exhaust/emissions plumbing....and (hopefully) not something you'll see on the final production versions!

The smart money is still on a 2010 launch---however, the real question is whether the trucks will come with Daimler's new global HDEP (Heavy Duty Engine Platform) engines---built by from Detroit Diesel----from the get-go, or the existing Euro-5 V6/V8, and 12-litre in-line diesels. Of course the Germans might even run both simultaneously for a short while.

Biglorryblog's pundit mates (of whom I have many) tell me that we won't see too many Euro-6 trucks before 2011 or even 2012. However, Merc may surprise everyone by being an early adopter with its HDEP motors, especially if the German authorities offer incentives to buy a Euro-6 truck ahead of the 2013/2104 deadline.

Either way, as most (if not all) of Europe's truck makers are likely to use both SCR and EGR (possibly with an active particulate trap too) to meet Euro-6 they'll need to get lots of nice cold air flowing past the taller HDEP in-line engines (like the DD13 above) that will ultimately power Merc's Euro-6 heavies. All of which goes along way towards explaining the high-mounted, towering cab on the black prototype seen here. And the taller cab is likely to retain the flat-floor found in the current MegaSpace Atros cab too. 

And once you've raised the floor to ensure plenty of engine cooling if you want to provide the maximum living space for a long-haul driver the only way is up---i.e. by raising the roof. And even with the heavy use of fake body panels on the full-width prototype black cab there's no disguising its extra tall roof moulding which looks to be pretty close to the Continental 4.0m limit---which funnily enough was the height of Merc's 'Space Max' extra tall concept tractor seen here above and at the Hanover Show back in 2006. So will the Actros replacement be ''Son of Space Max' I wonder? Now click through here for shots of the other protoytpes....

Imagine a world in which HGVs drive along a specially-marked-out route where there's only ever other trucks in front or behind you. Sounds daft? Well that's what the Volvo Group is suggesting in co-operation within the Swedish government's logistics forum in order to realise the EU Commission's concept regarding environmentally-sound goods transport in 'green corridors'. And yes that is quite a mouthful! However, the concept is simple enough. Special HGV-only lanes that allow the rapid passage of road-freight anywhere any time...sounds like a great idea to Biglorryblog...(although I'm not sure that the railfreight lobby will like it).

According to Volvo "The goal is to reduce the impact on the environment while simultaneously increasing efficiency and safety on highways through specially adapted transport stretches for heavy traffic. The EU Commission estimates that goods transports in Europe will have increased by 50% between 2000 and 2020. These rising volumes will require investments in all transport modes, including railways and seaborne traffic."

Indeed Volvo CEO Leif Johansson goes on to say: "Increased investments are required in railways and seaborne traffic, but it will not be sufficient, neither from an efficiency nor an environmental perspective. At the same time, we must provide for more efficient and more environmentally sound road transports and, among other aspects, this is one of the goals of the green corridors." Now click through here for more and a closer look at one of those futuristic 25.25m rigs!

Biglorryblog can see grown men weeping in the streets. Yes Foden is BACK with a bang with it's all new 'Aerodeck' created by talented automotive designer Alan Clarke -- and check out his website at www.alanclarkedesign.com.

And how to I come upon this veritable 'SCOOP!' (and note the Foden kite on the front of this baby)? Well because Alan very kindly posted a comment arising out of a previous blog and providied me with these stunning design 'visualisations' of a Foden for the future! Are you getting this Paccar?

Anyroadup, Alan tells BLB: "In terms of where the Foden Aerodeck Concept came from and who commissioned it, it was actually a personal design project. I used to go to work with my father in his lorry probably as early as 1970 when I was just 4 years old. We'd naturally be spotting lorries along the way, Bedfords, Leylands, Scammels, ERFs, Fords... Later on I thought the Foden was a really fabulous design with it's V shapes dipping into the front grill. We'd always keep a keen eye out for new new trucks on the road and my Dad's firm were one of the first locally to get a new Foden in the late seventies. [Ah...you see? haulage in the blood! BLB] What a fantastic sight to see, this monster struggling past in a tight cornish street."

Alan continues: "Needless to say, I recently thought Foden, a great and probably the last of the British truck manufacturers, could do with a boost and intended to send in some design ideas for the next generation Foden, I truly believe innovative design is the key to success. Anyway, after labouring away for a hundred hours or more I finally had the first of two designs ready, the 'Foden Areodeck'. I then called Foden to find out who to send it to only be told they weren't making trucks any more! What a disaster!" Now click through here for more...

Today Biglorryblog dropped in on his old mate Dino Mercurio, boss of truck equipment manufacturer Groeneveld today. And sitting on the desk in Dino's conference room was a rather nice flip-up desk calendar featuring these fabulous artist's impressions of futuristic trucks and 21st century diggers. So I thought I'd share them with you, starting with this rather strange, slim-line drawbar with individual wheel motors...groovy!

Now how about this muscular desert warrior. Nothing is going to stop this.

Love the hi-tech quarry dump truck with the cabin tucked down below the scow-ended body... 

How's this for a water-wading bucket loader? Now click through here for more crazee contemporary construction kit!

Well whatever it is...it's NOT the new Volvo FH. The Swedes (and the Brits) aren't giving too much away. What you have here is a futuristic scale model which nicely complimented the design-it-yourself 'truck of tomorrow' computerised study which was also on the Swedish truck maker's CV Show stand.

Biglorryblog was hoping to get some more information about the new FH--it allegedly breaks cover sometime around June and apart from knowing that it's got a slightly different headlight cluster, reworked dashboard and overhead lockers, a passenger seat that swivels round and a bed that can be turned into a 'sun lounger' I can't really tell you too much about it. And while we're on the subject of futuristic Volvo trucks this isn't the new FH either....

But it IS a Volvo, or at least a Volvo design study which comes from North American..called the Bee Van. What's it got to do with bees? Heaven knows. Meanwhile, click through here for a shot of the 'design-a-truck' workstation on the Volvo stand.