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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: 2, Insightful) by cmn32480 on Thursday March 06 2014, @03:55PM
A 3MPG gain is real money. Green in at least 2 senses of the word, saving $$ and probably better for the environment.
Now start with the questions. What is the carbon foot print of the manufacturing of the different materials as opposed to steel? How easy is it to repair those massive trailer panels? Can they be repaired at all? I would wager that you can't just beat a dent out with a hammer.
As a side question, what happens to carbon fiber in an accident? Does it shatter?
And the real question, likely the only thing that will actually matter in the end, what do they cost, and where is the break even point based on the cost of the truck, fuel and routine maintenance vs the current trucks that are on the road?
"It's a dog eat dog world, and I'm wearing Milkbone underwear" - Norm Peterson
(Score: 1) by cmn32480 on Thursday March 06 2014, @03:57PM
I knew there was another question.... stupid brain. I'm gonna stab you with a Q-Tip.
And how much additional training does it take to get the driver comfortable driving form a center position instead of the left?
"It's a dog eat dog world, and I'm wearing Milkbone underwear" - Norm Peterson
(Score: 1, Informative) by Techwolf on Thursday March 06 2014, @06:46PM
Now this is going to be a problem when passing. Usually one can sneak out a couple feet and see the road ahead to see if it is safe to pass. With this center drive, one can't do that as that will cause a collision with oncoming traffic.