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Opinion seems somewhat sharply divided on these European models — the current-day ones and the concept ones like this on, based on the Volvo models.
This particular one is based on the current Volvo trucks (this isn’t the same company as Volvo cars). It’s being called a Volvo FH 800 by its designer. I think the designer of this one is Levent Tuna, who also designed the Scania R1000 concept, but if anyone is 100% sure of the designer let me know so I can finalize that detail.
The design has been discussed since 2013 when a forum avatar named Vladapo63 first asked about it. It has also come to be associated with “a transformer too lazy to hide” all over the internet.
Although the above image may not be part of Volvo’s 21st century direction, the one below is part of their Volvo Concept Truck 2020 plan.
The 2020 plan is one of the things Volvo is focusing on now, and its about environmentalism and road-friendliness in the transporter models they produce. This boils down to aerodynamic design (reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions) in large part, which gives designers a chance to participate.
“[O]ur vision for the future is not that far away,” said Volvo Trucks design director Rikard Orell. “Much of the technology in the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 is already available.”
Another part — much discussed by truckers from owner-operators to hired ones — an auto-pilot system that will have road trains of driverless vehicles convoying across Europe with freight.
However, I’ve heard a lot of contrary viewpoints to a near future with no human truck drivers. There is just so much important work truckers do that robots cannot do, and robots being versatile like humans, so adaptable, learning, understanding priorities, and making decisions, a robot-truck driver computer might be further away.
