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Peterbilt is always updating their modern trucks, even to the point of discontinuing older but still popular lines like the 379, and now they’re using a modern method of getting ideas: crowdsourcing — and here is a design crowdsourced by Peterbilt and Local Motors, using the Forge technology.
Peterbilt already uses a lot of the newest technology and science — aerodynamics, comfort, but they want to use new technology. Fuel efficiency is a bit of a hot button issue with vehicle design in the current era. And ergonomics and better work performance are still important areas that are seen as improve-able.
What would you concentrate on if you were designing a new semi truck? What features do you need, or what are you using that could be better? Peterbilt’s goals of greater fuel efficiency are met by designers that propose new exterior lines, new fuel sources (hydrogen), new (lightweight) materials.
But most owner-operators or even truckers also care about something that seems to never stop being important: maintenance and fix-ability. Because if you’re going to own a semi tractor for a long time, you want to be able to easily open it up, look, diagnose any mechanical issues that need repair or adjustment, and fix them with easily obtainable parts and labor. And when trucks need to be updated, it’s nice if an owner can update parts of their truck in not-too-expensive ways.
This particular semi tractor design is by Alex Panaltescu. Visit Local Motors (click here). Visit Peterbilt (click here). You can read more about this future semi truck design here and here. And you can see 3 more future semi truck designs (click here).
