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from the Welcome-to-the-Rig-of-Tomorrow dept.
Papas Fritas writes:
"Heavy-duty trucks spend more time on the road than passenger vehicles, so improving their fuel efficiency of 5 or 6 mpg can have a major effect on emissions--and their owners' bottom lines. Now Stephen Edelstein reports that Walmart has unveiled the Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience (WAVE), designed for optimum aerodynamic efficiency featuring a convex nose to reduce aerodynamic drag and constructed of carbon-fiber reducing its weight by 4,000 pounds allowing the truck to carry more freight without the need for increased power or fuel consumption. The design was achieved in part by placing the driver in the center of the cab (video). The steering wheel is flanked by LCD screens--in place of conventional gauges--and there is a sleeping compartment directly behind the driver's pod.
The WAVE is powered by a Capstone Turbine engine coupled to an electrical powertrain. Capstone Turbines is a California based gas turbine manufacturer that specializes in microturbine power along with heating and cooling cogeneration systems. Key to the Capstone design is its use of foil bearings, which provides maintenance and fluid-free operation for the lifetime of the turbine and reduces the system to a single moving part which also eliminates the need for any cooling or other secondary systems. With over 7000 trucks, Walmart's fleet of vehicles provides a large opportunity to increase fuel efficiency across the board and set an example for the rest of the big box stores. They'll also be necessary in the near future: President Barack Obama has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to draft a new set of fuel-economy rules for medium and heavy-duty trucks."
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bucc5062 on Thursday March 06 2014, @03:52PM
I doing some digging, I found this Wiki as it relates to rear view mirrors [ecomodder.com]
In short it looks like even this vehicle has to have mirrors, not video, that allows the driver to see 200 ft behind the vehicle. If not then it would seem to be deemed illegal for the road. The pictures are not great for viewing the visibility, but since they took it out on the road I figure what the driver can see is good enough to pass muster.
The LCD screens should be showing gauges, warnings, and gps (along with schedule information) and maybe a backup view function when in reverse.
This rig reminds me of an old Sci Fi story (was it Heinlein I think) where a young man leaves home to seek fortune amongst the stars. He hitches a ride on a freight truck that in description is the future of this Walmart rig. Now I have to figure out where....
The more things change, the more they look the same
(Score: 3) by bucc5062 on Thursday March 06 2014, @03:58PM
Found it. It was Starman Jones [wikipedia.org] These were very enjoyable books to read a a kid and I think I need to revisit again to escape back to childhood for a short time.
The more things change, the more they look the same