The Walmart WAVE could be the sporty future of trucking

I’m really digging the futuristic design of this WAVE big rig which looks like it could’ve landed fresh from Cybertron rather than Walmart.

Walmart has developed the new truck ‘n’ trailer combo in order to create a vehicle that would cut through the air more efficiently and therefor cut fuel use. Something that’s very important when you run one of the largest fleets in the world.

The WAVE, which stands for Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience, is a concept rig that could well predict the way that long-haul freight will look in the near future. WAVE has been designed by Walmart in partnership with Peterbilt, Great Dane Trailers, and Capstone Turbine.

The truck-meets-supercar cab might look like nothing currently on the road but that low profile shape makes it 20% more aerodynamic than your standard rig. Add to that the fact It’s towing the world’s first 53-foot carbon fibre trailer then you have something that looks fantastic and worthy of you checking and re-checking the height allowance of the next bridge way in advance. All that carbon fibre aint going to be cheap to mend.

Inside that sporty cab the driver sits in the middle, F1 style, and is flanked by customisable LCD displays. Behind the business end there’s even still room for an equally modern and well kitted sleeper cabin in the back.

The truck uses a turbine-powered battery-electric hybrid drivetrain, and the combustion engine can run on diesel, natural gas and biodiesel but there’s been no mention of estimated fuel economy.

Let’s face it, the aerodynamic gains alone could save Walmart a massive amount of money. The company has a fleet of over 6,000 trucks, so every mile per gallon saved is going to help the planet as well as the Walmart wallet.

“It may never make it to the road, but it will allow us to test new technologies and new approaches,” says Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon.

But if there’s an industry in need of disruption, trucking and other long haul freight moving is it. You never know, the WAVE could point the way forward for the future of logistics.

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