Long distance haulage for the future: long rigs, controlled by
autopilot, driven non-stop in nose-to-tail convoys on green
super-motorways linking the continents.
This is the vision of the future that generated the ideas behind
the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 design concept. But will it really
look like this in just ten years?
"That is the whole point," says Rikard Orell Design Director at
Volvo Trucks. "Progress is getting ever faster. Because of this our
vision for the future is not that far away. Much of the technology
in the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 is already available, other
technology needs to be developed. One needs to dare stride firmly
into the debate, demonstrating what one can and will do. Just
tinkering at the edges runs the risk of progress slipping
away."
As road transport expands it must also become safer and more
efficient. Volvo's design concept contains ideas about how that can
be achieved. Some of these ideas can be integrated into production
today, while others are there to arouse interest and start a
discussion.
One of the more startling ideas is to link vehicles together
wirelessly into long trains that rush across the continents at 90
km/h.
"This will be possible when the transport sector's vision of green
corridors becomes reality," says Rikard Orell. "Here heavy goods
vehicles are separated from other traffic, driving in their own
lanes, like a railway but without rails."
There are many advantages. Road safety increases, transport
services require less space and wear on the roads decreases. Fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions drop thanks to reduced drag when a
truck is in the slipstream of the vehicle in front. In addition the
driver can rest behind the wheel while the truck drives itself. If
this is counted as idle time, transport times can be cut,
deliveries will be made more quickly and drivers can get back to
their families and friends earlier.
The driver is at the centre of Volvo's world. It goes without
saying that a design concept from Volvo Trucks contains a great
many ideas about the development of the driver environment. In the
Volvo Concept Truck 2020 the driver environment is spacious, airy
and free of disruption.
"We have replaced the traditional dashboard with a thin film panel
on which information is tailored to suit the driver," says Rikard
Orell. "The panel is operated like a touchpad, just like an iPhone.
We have saved a lot of space that way."
Another space-saving idea is the sleek driver's seat with its thin,
ventilated mesh backrest, more like a modern office chair than a
traditional driver's seat. Behind the driver is a futon sofa which
folds out into a wide, comfortable bed in the evening.
The lighting in the cab is divided into zones customised for the
driver's various in-cab tasks, or for resting.
Around the driver are large areas of glass providing good
visibility out of the vehicle and even into it. This benefits eye
contact between the driver and other road users preventing
accidents. Privacy screening and blackout in the evening are
controlled electronically.
The design team also aimed for a sleek look for the exterior,
reducing the perception of the vehicle's size. The LED headlamps
and turn indicators are integrated into the front of the vehicle.
The rear-view mirrors have been replaced by cameras that project
their images onto the inside of the windscreen.
The lower section of the front of the vehicle features integrated
collision protection projecting forwards about half a metre. This
"nose" is gentler on oncoming cars in the event of a head-on
collision, and has also been shown to improve aerodynamics.
"Because the nose is a safety function our starting point has been
that it does not count as part of the maximum permitted vehicle
length, just as rear-view mirrors today are outside the maximum
permitted width," Rikard Orell points out.
Some things you just do not change. The Globetrotter sign on the
roof is still there, but has been redesigned so that it harmonises
with the lines of the vehicle and reduces drag. The driver can
change the text on the sign from the instrument panel.
So work on the external design focuses largely on aerodynamics. But
by how much is it really possible to reduce drag on a truck?
"We have come so far with the front of the vehicle that further
changes to the basic shape provide only marginal improvements,"
says Rikard Orell. "However, a lot will happen when we start work
on the design of the rear end of the vehicle. There is a great deal
of untapped aerodynamic potential there."