Geek Alert! Fancy New Wallmart Truck

[Revoltingest]

[youtube]NER9X4_gtYk[/youtube]
Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience Concept Truck - YouTube
Gas turbines have been a failure in vehicles because they're efficient only at full power. But I notice a hybrid electric application here, which would allow the turbine to be downsized to run in the full power range all the time, with the battery supplementing it for high demands (eg, up hills). I wonder if there's a regenerator for the turbine...that is the most thermodynamically efficient design.
The battery looks oddly small for this purpose though. Perhaps this one is for use in plains states, eh? Anyway, I've long wondered how long it would take for carbon fiber trailers to arrive. This would be a dramatic reduction in fuel usage.

 

[dust1n]

Looks like a storm trooper.

 

[Tumah]

So uh... does Walmart really neeeed such a fancy truck? Or was this purely a publicity thing?

 

[freethinker44]

So uh... does Walmart really neeeed such a fancy truck? Or was this purely a publicity thing?

They have to something with all that obscene wealth. If paying employees is out of the question, and you can only build so many billion dollar art museums, might as well build a ridiculous truck.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Looks like it'll transform into a transformer version of Scream.

 

[Quagmire]

I never thought I'd say this about anything connected with Wallmart, but that's cool!

 

[4consideration]

I never thought I'd say this about anything connected with Wallmart, but that's cool!

What he said.

 

[Revoltingest]

They have to something with all that obscene wealth. If paying employees is out of the question, and you can only build so many billion dollar art museums, might as well build a ridiculous truck.

If someone obscenely wealthy wants to become even more so by
saving fuel, & thereby helping our environment, then I'm all for it.

 

[Revoltingest]

Looks like a storm trooper.

You're right!
Our highways could look like this....
[youtube]LowVhCfLm68[/youtube]
Hold the Elevator | Robot Chicken | Adult Swim - YouTube

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Looks like a storm trooper.

These aren't the Prius's you're looking for.

 

[oldbadger]

[youtube]NER9X4_gtYk[/youtube]
Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience Concept Truck - YouTube
Gas turbines have been a failure in vehicles because they're efficient only at full power. But I notice a hybrid electric application here, which would allow the turbine to be downsized to run in the full power range all the time, with the battery supplementing it for high demands (eg, up hills). I wonder if there's a regenerator for the turbine...that is the most thermodynamically efficient design.
The battery looks oddly small for this purpose though. Perhaps this one is for use in plains states, eh? Anyway, I've long wondered how long it would take for carbon fiber trailers to arrive. This would be a dramatic reduction in fuel usage.

F1 technology is moving fast in terms of dual-power, and within 5 years things will be getting very interesting in dual-power. Some folks are saying that straight IC-only power will be off EU roads within 20 years.

You mention small sized batteries.......... but they're getting good power-weight ratios these days with lithium polymers, and it's going to get better very fast.

Ain't things moving along..... ?

 

[DreadFish]

Looks like a storm trooper.

It's only fitting since Walmart is the evil empire.

 

[Revoltingest]

You mention small sized batteries.......... but they're getting good power-weight ratios these days with lithium polymers, and it's going to get better very fast.

Lithion ion batteries are a pretty mature technology, so I don't expect much improvement
in energy density, even in the long run. And I don't see any breakthru technology on the horizon.
This truck looks to be a great improvement in efficiency, but only because it's an ambitious
application of many existing technologies.