Have you seen Walmart’s new prototype for their trucks? You should definitely take a look because the design is very impressive.
The prototype was unveiled at the Mid-America Trucking Show. Walmart wanted to show off the truck as proof that the company is making sincere steps to be more eco-friendly.
It remains uncertain if the Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience or WAVE trucks will ever become the norm. Even so, there are potential positives to take away from the prototype’s existence.
“[It] may never make it to the road,” wrote Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillion, “but it will allow us to test new technologies and new approaches.”
McMillion blogged about the project back in February, however the effort to make Walmart trucks more fuel-efficient goes back nearly a decade.
The company pledged in 2005 that the fuel efficiency of its massive fleet would be doubled by the year 2015.
The organization claims it has achieved greater fuel efficiency over the last ten years, improving to 84 percent over their 2005 baseline. With a fleet that contains approximately 6,500 tractors and 55,000 trailers, that is impressive.
In order to meet its original goal, Walmart must look at other ways to improve.
Enter the WAVE initiative.
The prototype is actually 4,000 lbs lighter than other trucks on the road and has 20 percent less aerodynamic drag.
@ChuckNellis @Andypaul1976 love this truck. Walmart's New Truck Prototype Has Stunning Design: http://t.co/OemcFBXCWa
— Maverick (@spike7667) March 29, 2014
The truck would grant drivers greater space and visibility. It’s ultra futuristic design makes it easily distinguishable, which could be an added bonus of generating buzz and attention for Walmart.
As for fuel efficiency, the WAVE trucks are meant to run on gas and electricity while cutting back on emissions quite considerably.
The concept is an exciting one, though it’s going to take a lot of money and adjustments to make it happen on a unanimous level.
For now there is no set date for WAVE trucks to be integrated by Walmart into their fleet of trucks.
Image via YouTube
