• European Parliament backs rules for safer, more fuel-efficient lorry designs
    64 replies, posted
If this means trucks that look like they came from a cyberpunk dystopia then they have my vote.
[QUOTE=deggemannen;44553090]"most" I've never ever seen one[/QUOTE] The first time i saw the streamline tear drop design was on a transport truck for Kingsmill bread company. [IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/ao2amu.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=TestECull;44550932]I think it's fucking ugly, but reducing blind spots is a huge benefit for truck drivers. Of course if car drivers would respect those blind spots it wouldn't be a problem, but most car drivers clean their windshield with their tongue so that'll never fucking happen.[/QUOTE] The issue seems to be cyclists more than car drivers. I don't know how much of an issue it is in other places but in the last few years there have been a HUGE number of lorry vs cyclist accidents in London mostly involving blind spots and turning. [editline]15th April 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=matt.ant;44552837]Most big lorries look like this now, with the aerodynamic roof: [IMG]http://www.biofuelstp.eu/images/tk-maxx-lorry.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] That's not entirely for aerodynamics, it increases the capacity quite dramatically.
What's this like compared to American-style lorries? AFAIK, drivers prefer them because they're more comfortable and easier to work on, but the only reason we don't have them here in the first place is EU regulations
[QUOTE=Jsm;44553286]The issue seems to be cyclists more than car drivers. I don't know how much of an issue it is in other places but in the last few years there have been a HUGE number of lorry vs cyclist accidents in London mostly involving blind spots and turning. [editline]15th April 2014[/editline] That's not entirely for aerodynamics, it increases the capacity quite dramatically.[/QUOTE] Does it? I would have thought that it would reduce the capacity, as most goods shipped in lorries are box-shaped. I always wondered how much the fuel-efficiency made up for the fact that they'd have to use an extra few lorries overall. I could be wrong of course. Where I live only a few big companies use them, and I kinda got the impression that they use them just to look like they're "green" as most of the lorries have some slogan on the side talking about reducing emissions.
You guys have ugly trucks in Europe. In the US, our inefficient eco-killers are at least cool looking. [img]http://cloudlakes.com/data_images/models/peterbilt-379/peterbilt-379-12.jpg[/img]
disgusting, i can't believe the EU wants to destroy the classic lorry look with their sickeningly blatant green agenda dont they realise this will put all those corners out of jobs??
[QUOTE=Hiccuper;44554790]Does it? I would have thought that it would reduce the capacity, as most goods shipped in lorries are box-shaped. I always wondered how much the fuel-efficiency made up for the fact that they'd have to use an extra few lorries overall. I could be wrong of course. Where I live only a few big companies use them, and I kinda got the impression that they use them just to look like they're "green" as most of the lorries have some slogan on the side talking about reducing emissions.[/QUOTE] I'm not sure if the one in the picture is actually one of them, but there are some double decker trailers now which look VERY similar. They basically just pile more stuff on top of everything else.
Well I like this design, i think the old designs were made without aerodynamic properties being completly unthought of.
[QUOTE=MR2;44551915]Cameras don't offer depth perception like mirrors do, they're a gimmick. [editline]15th April 2014[/editline] and it looks like a turd overall[/QUOTE] Most vehicle cameras are combo'd with other instruments to improve their functionality. Certain ones have rangefinders that display a little silhouette bar on the image that helps gauge distance. others have light amplification, it really depends on the amount of shit the manufacturer gives but cameras are a great system to add to trucks.
[QUOTE=smurfy;44551769]This concept does, yes. Visible here: [t]http://imgkk.com/i/_-yk.jpg[/t][/QUOTE] Looks kinda like a vacuum cleaner.
[QUOTE=Daemon;44553247]The first time i saw the streamline tear drop design was on a transport truck for Kingsmill bread company. [IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/ao2amu.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] what are you talking about, that's the big ass loaf of bread stretching it
I only see a big problem for sure, and that's repairability. 18 wheelers aren't taken care of like a normal vehicle. They get tore up and frequently need parts replaced. Looks to me like the body panels on that concept would probably cost a great deal more to replace, and I'm not sure if they could replace them in their driveway one afternoon. These look nice for a physically smaller country like the U.K., but you could never switch the U.S. to trucks like this. The long hauls across country are more fuel efficient when you can pack a large trailer full of product and send it in one trip. Also, the more powerful engines in the U.S. 18-wheelers means that they can travel the interstates with larger loads at lower RPMs. This is one of those cases where more power leads to more overall efficiency....
[QUOTE=Jsm;44554879]I'm not sure if the one in the picture is actually one of them, but there are some double decker trailers now which look VERY similar. They basically just pile more stuff on top of everything else.[/QUOTE] Yeah, those are double deckers. The supermarket I work for wants to roll them out for their deliveries, but the added height means that a fair few loading bays need to modified to be tall enough to fit them, so they're expensive as hell to implement.
[QUOTE=Silence I Kill You;44555398]I only see a big problem for sure, and that's repairability. 18 wheelers aren't taken care of like a normal vehicle. They get tore up and frequently need parts replaced. Looks to me like the body panels on that concept would probably cost a great deal more to replace, and I'm not sure if they could replace them in their driveway one afternoon. These look nice for a physically smaller country like the U.K., but you could never switch the U.S. to trucks like this. The long hauls across country are more fuel efficient when you can pack a large trailer full of product and send it in one trip. Also, the more powerful engines in the U.S. 18-wheelers means that they can travel the interstates with larger loads at lower RPMs. This is one of those cases where more power leads to more overall efficiency....[/QUOTE] the one in the OP is just the concept if this is implemented then the body panels will be optimised for manufacture in large quantities while retaining improved aerodynamics, and will probably cost as much as plastic bits for trucks currently do whether or not they would be difficult to replace would be a matter of design too, and making it hard is in nobody's interests
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;44550915]That concept looks fucking ugly[/QUOTE] can't handle the future
[QUOTE=Silence I Kill You;44555398]I only see a big problem for sure, and that's repairability. 18 wheelers aren't taken care of like a normal vehicle. They get tore up and frequently need parts replaced. Looks to me like the body panels on that concept would probably cost a great deal more to replace, and I'm not sure if they could replace them in their driveway one afternoon. These look nice for a physically smaller country like the U.K., but you could never switch the U.S. to trucks like this. The long hauls across country are more fuel efficient when you can pack a large trailer full of product and send it in one trip. Also, the more powerful engines in the U.S. 18-wheelers means that they can travel the interstates with larger loads at lower RPMs. This is one of those cases where more power leads to more overall efficiency....[/QUOTE] You could use the same engine, with the same power, and make even it even efficient by making the truck aerodynamic so it's not fighting against the air every step of the way. It'd even cut the amount of fuel used, so it'd reduce the cost of transporting stuff as well.
[QUOTE=Grenadiac;44554851]You guys have ugly trucks in Europe. In the US, our inefficient eco-killers are at least cool looking. [img]http://cloudlakes.com/data_images/models/peterbilt-379/peterbilt-379-12.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]Dude that's Optimus Prime. That's like presenting Chris Hadfield as the average human being.
[QUOTE=Uber|nooB;44555483]the one in the OP is just the concept if this is implemented then the body panels will be optimised for manufacture in large quantities while retaining improved aerodynamics, and will probably cost as much as plastic bits for trucks currently do whether or not they would be difficult to replace would be a matter of design too, and making it hard is in nobody's interests[/QUOTE] I know, and I hope they work on it and make it so truck drivers aren't breaking plastic panels every day, and so it doesn't cost them 2 weeks pay to replace one. [QUOTE=Camundongo;44555499]You could use the same engine, with the same power, and make even it even efficient by making the truck aerodynamic so it's not fighting against the air every step of the way. It'd even cut the amount of fuel used, so it'd reduce the cost of transporting stuff as well.[/QUOTE] I know. They should have started doing that years, if not decades ago. But my point was that at interstate speeds and longer distances, more power (to an extent) adds efficiency by allowing the engine to cruise at lower rpms AND reduces the amount of strain on the engine to keep it at speeds. I know it sounds ass-backwards from common sense, but I've seen it personally in action. It's the reason why my 14 year old F-150 with a 5.4L V8 engine actually gets better gas mileage on the way to the hunting camp than my dad's 2009 Tundra with a V6.
[QUOTE=Teddybeer;44555075]I dare you to park that thing in my street at night when you can barely get a small car through it.[/QUOTE] No that rig probably wouldn't fit in the Netherlands but being compact enough to drive on European streets doesn't mean it has to be an eyesore either [QUOTE=Lizzrd;44555598]Dude that's Optimus Prime. That's like presenting Chris Hadfield as the average human being.[/QUOTE] These custom 18 wheelers are pretty common in the west actually [img]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff83/servesyr/truck%20insurance/big_rigs_01.jpg[/img] they're really... american
[QUOTE=matt.ant;44552837]Most big lorries look like this now, with the aerodynamic roof: [img]http://www.biofuelstp.eu/images/tk-maxx-lorry.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] Making a truck with a cross section of a wing makes it more dangerous than it does help fuel economy. It's going to have the same effect that wind does on a VW beetle, except not as terrible. Trucks in the US have done more sensible things to help with fuel economy. Some of them are: - Modifying the front of the truck to be more streamlined. - Changing transmission gear ratios/adding more gears to transmissions. - Removing external accessories like the super charger/turbo charger intakes and making them internal. - Adding skirting to the sides of the trailer or lowering the trailer to reduce undercarriage drag. - Adding hubcap plugs to reduce wind drag on tires. - Replacing the twin tires per axle with a single double width tire to reduce road friction and air drag. - Adding folding ducting on the back of the trailer to reduce drag induced by low pressure.
Regular, non-crazy american truck for any confused europeans: [IMG]http://halocapitalgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/semi-truck-X-Small.jpg[/IMG] slap some logos on the trailer and cab and you got it.
[QUOTE=Lizzrd;44555598]Dude that's Optimus Prime. That's like presenting Chris Hadfield as the average human being.[/QUOTE] It's basically identical to the regular truck except for the paint job. [t]http://i.imgur.com/bBbbtAc.jpg[/t] A regular (slightly older, AFAIK) Peterbilt 379, with a different light setup.
[QUOTE=JXZ;44557937]Regular, non-crazy american truck for any confused europeans: [IMG]http://halocapitalgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/semi-truck-X-Small.jpg[/IMG] slap some logos on the trailer and cab and you got it.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't call a Volvo (albeit an American Volvo) the regular American truck. Something more like this Kenworth T800 is more representative. [IMG]http://cloudlakes.com/data_images/models/kenworth-t800/kenworth-t800-01.jpg[/IMG] [editline]15th April 2014[/editline] Actually it'd probably be more like this Freightliner. [IMG]http://worldcarslist.com/images/freightliner/freightliner-columbia/freightliner-columbia-08.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=lazyguy;44554520]What's this like compared to American-style lorries? AFAIK, drivers prefer them because they're more comfortable and easier to work on, but the only reason we don't have them here in the first place is EU regulations[/QUOTE] They look somewhat more like American conventional trucks, but it looks like you still have to lift up the entire cab to get to the engine. If I was a truck driver, I'd definitely want to be driving an American conventional truck rather than a cab-over design. They're slightly less lethal to be in during a crash, much more comfortable (the squished wheelbase of a cab-over design hampers the ride), and (AFAIK) more stable when driving without a trailer. Conventional trucks also get more gas mileage due to better aerodynamics (especially in modern designs) [t]http://i.imgur.com/PFY3XuP.jpg[/t] A streamlined Kenworth
[QUOTE=Grenadiac;44554851]You guys have ugly trucks in Europe. In the US, our inefficient eco-killers are at least cool looking. [img]http://cloudlakes.com/data_images/models/peterbilt-379/peterbilt-379-12.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] I think that looks really corny.
Having lost a classmate to a lorry driver who didn't see him on his bike, I'm all for any increasing in safety measures.
I imagine a remake of the transformers with such designs. I don´t know why, but an Optimus Prime in a shape like this looks like he would be a homosexual. When he fights, he dances splendidly around his enemies in a ballet-like fashion, while gracefully cutting throats of Decepticons like there is no tomorrow.
[QUOTE=Grenadiac;44555995] [img]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff83/servesyr/truck%20insurance/big_rigs_01.jpg[/img] [/QUOTE] Looks like a truck with dev textures applied to it. :v:
My mum likes the new design.
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