Volvo Reveals Concept Truck 2020

Swedish manufacturer Volvo Trucks recently unveiled the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 design concept, the company’s vision on how the truck of the future should look like. The concept focuses on the development of the driver environment, which is “spacious, airy and free of disruption” in the future. And by the way things look in Volvo’s vision, many of us may consider becoming truck drivers...

"We have replaced the traditional dashboard with a thin film panel on which information is tailored to suit the driver," Rikard Orell Design Director at Volvo Trucks, said in a release. "The panel is operated like a touchpad, just like an iPhone. We have saved a lot of space that way."

The driver’s seat is more like a modern office chair with a thin, ventilated mesh backrest, while behind the driver is a futon sofa which can fold out into a wide, comfortable bed. The lighting in the cab can be customized for various in-cab tasks or for resting. Privacy screening and blackout in the evening are controlled electronically.

Outside, the concept truck features LED headlamps and turn indicators that are integrated into the front of the vehicle. The rear-view mirrors have been replaced by cameras, while images are projected onto the inside of the windscreen.

The lower section of the front of the vehicle features integrated collision protection projecting forwards about half a metre.

"Because the nose is a safety function our starting point has been that it does not count as part of the maximum permitted vehicle length, just as rear-view mirrors today are outside the maximum permitted width," Orell added.

Ultimately, the Globetrotter sign on the roof has also been redesigned, while the driver can change the text on the sign from the instrument panel.