Audi has never really been involved in the commercial vehicle industry, but after two independent designers – Artem Smirnov and Vladimir Panchenko – penned this project titled “Truck for Audi”, we think the German automobile manufacturer might want to reconsider.
Interestingly, two plans have been pitted against one another by the designers as they’re having a difficult time deciding which is better.
Plan A
This model is for long-distance transporting on freeways and highways. It is electric and autonomous and makes use of retractable spoilers to make it as aerodynamic as possible. You also get a fairly large windscreen and cabin, a performance-inspired set of alloy wheels (employing massive Brembo brakes) wrapped in grippy Continental Contact Sport tyres, and a removable battery pack.
Plan B
This is what the designers call their show truck. It makes use of some drastic designs, including the semi-off-road Pirelli P-Zero wheels, an open deck cockpit inspired by a fighter jet, and Formula One style steering wheels. The battery pack forms part of the chassis and is held in place by two sets of belts in order to give the truck an extremely low centre of gravity. And, thanks to a clever pivoting system, the trailer can be placed a lot closer to the cabin. It seems that this design is intended to perform in more construction-based environments.
Of course, the chances of Audi commissioning these designs are virtually zero, but it’s not too hard to believe that this is what the future of trucking could look like. And if that’s indeed the case, then we can be sure to see plenty more enthusiastic drivers trying their hands at big-rigging in the years to come.
