Electric semi-trucks developed by companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Daimler, Nikola Motors, Ford and Tesla are paving the way for the future of freight trucking around the world.
Some of these trucks are caressing a dream autonomous driving: it's a matter of time, but they'll get there. We will see beasts like these passing in the right lane, placid and tireless, delivering goods on their own 24 hours a day.
Atlantis is the concept of a level 5 self-driving electric truck. Its unique design (developed by Roman Dolzhenko, his Mimic is beautiful I talked about here, in collaboration with the industrial designer Dmitry Voronezhtsev) takes advantage of the total absence of the "human" cabin. And it's enhanced by the huge set of rear wheels that provide superior grip on the road at high speeds. I'll be honest: this truck has some parts that don't seem very useful to me, but I like the way it looks. I like his "face" so "bad" and ultra-modern.
Atlantis, autonomous truck, autonomous future
Atlantis, as mentioned, will have level 5 autonomy without compartments for the driver. It will be very useful for shipping perishable items to pre-established addresses without the need for human intervention. The electric truck has a truly unconventional style, different from anything I have seen so far.
For once, Elon Musk's stuff (think Cybertruck or Tesla semi-trailer truck prototypes) just needs to be learned. By the way, Elon: the year is almost over, but level 5 autonomous driving wasn't it practically done?
The key element of its appearance? The two huge wheels positioned right on the back. They're as big as the truck, basically. What are they for? I mean, the concept foresees that the wheels can also move independently of each other, but these large rims could represent a significant problem on uneven terrain. I don't dare think about replacement or maintenance.