No, we’re not changing our name to Truck and Driver, but our inner five-year-olds freak the hell out when we see stuff like the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025, which just made its debut at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Germany. While its name isn’t the most inventive in the world—how about Vision Gran Truckismo instead? Or XXXXXXXL-class?—the thing is full of innovations that sort of make us want to start driving truck. At least in Germany.
The design embodies Mercedes’ so-called “sensual purity” aesthetic, with an “exceptional visual appearance [that] symbolizes the great leap from classic truck to autonomous transport vehicle of the future,” says Mercedes. Its curvy cab-over design is accentuated by a kazillion LEDs that light up the paint when the truck is turned on, which we think is reason enough to build the thing, like now. When a turn-signal is actuated, the appropriate lights flash orange, and when the truck is driven autonomously—and autonomous driving is going to be a big deal for big rigs of the future—said LEDs change from white to blue, and even pulse to symbolize “the truck’s powerful heartbeat.” Because what the autobahn needs is to be packed full of self-driving, truck-sized techno light shows to distract Porsche 918 drivers whizzing by at 300 clicks. All it’s missing, seemingly, is the Matrix of Leadership.
To minimize the role of the pesky human in the cab, a network of long- and short-distance radar sensors, mono- and stereo cameras, and the mother of all blind-spot assist systems allow the rig to take in its surroundings much the same way as today’s more advanced passenger cars do, and when the conditions are right, allow for networked, semi-autonomous (get it, “semi” autonomous?), or fully autonomous driving. The truck can also utilize vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications systems for an added measure of safety, as well as to help communicate information about road conditions, construction, accidents, and more, ultimately helping to streamline traffic and reduce traffic jams, says Mercedes-Benz. All is designed to eliminate driver error, save fuel, increase safety, and allow for accurately tracking arrival times. This last point, Benz says, would relieve a major source of driver stress.
The driver is still part of the equation, however limited in his or her role, and the Future Truck 2025 proposes to make them quite comfortable inside a streamlined, simple, and clutter-free cab jam-packed with open-pore wood. The dashboard features “floating” screens, piano black lacquer, and touch pads instead of button banks. Along autonomously driven routes, the driver can recline the seat or turn it 45 degrees and use a removable tablet computer to process manifests, schedule breaks, or accept new orders. (Or, you know, look at Buzzfeed.) The computer is also intended to stream info of the truck’s speed and location to the dispatcher and other parties interested in the contents of the trailer. Oh yeah, and the interior gets its own lighting effects that Mercedes characterizes as “exciting” but otherwise remain undetailed.
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No word on how much this thing would set its operators back, but that’s no matter at this point, since there’s much legal gobbledygook to get through before anything like this could make it onto European (or U.S.) roadways. Mercedes estimates that will take 10 years for commercial vehicles such as this. All we know is that the job of truck driver is starting to look pretty rad.
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