Wal-Mart WAVEs hello to concept truck and trailer

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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — As part of its plan to double fleet efficiency by 2015 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has revealed its concept truck and trailer.

Known as the Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience or WAVE, the vehicle is a collaboration between the retailer, Peterbilt, Great Dane Trailers, and Capstone Turbine.

According to a Wal-Mart, the WAVE is powered by a “prototype advanced turbine-powered, range-extending series hybrid powertrain (or microturbine-hybrid powertrain) combined with an electric motor and battery storage system.”

It also incorporates advanced aerodynamics, a sliding driver’s door, a centred driver’s seat, an electronic dashboard with customizable gauges and performance data, and a full-sized sleeper. The convex-nosed trailer is mostly constructed from carbon fibre, and incorporates 53-ft. carbon fibre panels that run the length of the trailer.

Since the WAVE is unlikely to be on the roads anytime soon, Wal-Mart is adding over 1,000 2014 tractors to its current fleet. According to the company, the new tractors are approximately 12% percent more efficient than existing fleet vehicles and are projected to provide approximately $40M in savings.

To see a video introduction of the truck, click here.

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  • Walmart is just using the media for free advertising.
    They sell consumer goods and really have little to do with designing trucks.
    Really in a way who cares what America’s worst retailer does anyway.

  • If a stakeholder is actively involved in innovation, surely that’s something to applaud? Even if there’s an element of advertising present.
    It’s very encouraging to see that US companies are showing serious efforts to work on environmentally friendly transport solutions. Every bit may help the environment. At the same time, every innovation is a potential boost to the economy. Every economy needs innovation to drive growth. We need some more of that where I live. Guido – Logistics & Transport Consultant – Antwerp – Belgium

  • Double the efficiency? In a fossil fuel world, it still will take a measured amount of fuel tto do a measured amount of comparable work. I would love to drive something like this but I’ll believe it when I see it.

  • This will be the end of the so called owner op with the big sleeper and being on the road for weeks at a time .These trailers will force the big guys to go back to day cabs and run division points. they had to do it before and we all made a good living. Clint. Hope B.C.

  • It sure looks like Federal Government is now subsidizing Wal-Mart just like all the alternative energy hoax’s like wind, solar, electric cars and know hybrid trucks. Not one Co. could afford it, if the Federal Government wasn’t giving them 80% of the money to do it. I think that part of story needs to be told so people understand. It is all truly ineffecient at this stage.