If You Think the Tesla Semi Is Cool, Then You HAVE To See This Kenworth Diesel Hybrid!

[@Hugo-py2ce]

The key thing here was, "A lot of this you will never see on the road"

[@bryanstackpole1951]

It's too low to be practical.

[@bruceritchie7613]

​@@bryanstackpole195111:10 they do talk about that.

[@DocWolph]

But at least it is a happy throwback to the concept cars of the 1980s and 90s, when they made things that were just awesome even if they were never going to see the road as shown if at all.

[@sebastianorye2702]

@@DocWolph but is that good? Do we like the practice of hyping things up with 0 intent to ever produce it?

[@DocWolph]

@@sebastianorye2702 Concepts cars were and generally still are about what the company is thinking about, what technologies they are developing. They can be anything for a mock-up, which most people don't like unless it looks THAT good. Sometimes they are fully operational research vehicles. And even on up to fully producible prototypes. It is good to hype up these things, even if there is no intention to producing it. A big part of it is simply to gauge were the consumer is. Are they even interested in this, that ever it may be. You could release the most amazing concept car but if no one is actually interested what would be the point ever producing it.. It would be a huge money loser. While even a fully operational concept vehicle may cost a few million dollars to produce, to bring it to full production can cost billions. So it would be nice to just have an idea if there are willing customers for said vehicle. So, it is not merely hype but also product research.

[@michaelrugarber3785]

I remember the top gear episode where they talked about Saab and their bad idea for covered front wheels. You can't turn them when the snow builds up.

[@MistaRoyanT]

Also makes circle checks damn near impossible

[@manga12]

@@MistaRoyanT yes the streamliner locomotives had a simaler problem it made servacing a pain and were eventually taken off, when I refer to old steam locos from the late 30's to 1940's in the golden last years of crazy experaments to get more effecentcy from steam or just for pure show, but the pennsy s1,s2, and t1's as well as the hyawathas and dryfus hudsons sure were works of industral modern art with their streamlining.

[@randgrithr7387]

The lack of air cooling is a serious issue when it gets to be ≥90°f. Blowing a dual is one thing, but blowing a steer tire is a fun ride.

[@dwaynecaldwell7595]

​@@randgrithr7387I was thinking the same thing. One good steer blowout, and that covering is gone.

[@freedomfighter9046]

Very cool Design for US highways.Good luck keeping this truck in one piece.

[@tylerbuckley4661]

Lmao keep thinking that will not be used

[@jaimecastro9659]

@@tylerbuckley4661 hhahhahhahhh good luck trying to drive this thing in southern California..

[@tylerbuckley4661]

@@jaimecastro9659 are you kidding me I own a k100 I will never drive that imitation Truck that ev is a pice of s h I t

[@tylerbuckley4661]

@@jaimecastro9659 and why would i want to drive in commiefornia

[@tylerbuckley4661]

@@jaimecastro9659 that ev truck would never.last on commiefornia they do not have the infrastructure for it

[@mariolarouche5318]

When engineers won't consult maintenance mechanics, you get this🙄

[@pigidly]

Also drivers. Try to do a pre trip inspection on this…

[@richardlevari9470]

Or truck drivers!

[@richardlevari9470]

@@pigidlyyou won’t have to do a pre trip because DOT be able to do a inspection either! Lol

[@Frontier2022]

Nice for some woke futuristic movie with not concept of reality.

[@cindy6572]

@@Frontier2022 watch iRobot. They have a vehicle that carries robots that look so much like that. Yuck!

[@MarkD-tt8qz]

Imagine having a blow out how many body panels would be destroyed, and the front width of the steering wheels is more narrow for less stability, just one good kansas/Texas wind gust, and you're on youre side😮

[@happydays8171]

They'll have to put air bags on the outside to tip it back up when it blows over.

[@kingjames7273]

Right bro even worse imagine a n attack by a swift truck 😅😅😅😅

[@travishartman5662]

Steering wheel size doesn't prevent wind from flipping a truck.

[@nathanbannister8502]

Can't wait to watch these new trucks encounter their first railroad track or speed bump! How exciting!

[@TheHonestPeanut]

You known you can adjust ride hight with most modern rigs right? Did you know that?

[@Jeff-Vader_head_of_catering]

Yeah, when you actually WATCH the video and pay attention, he covered this. Maybe don't trigger-post without all the facts.

[@jamesco0329]

By speed bumps, you mean the highways and freeways in the US.

[@Angora1908]

Don’t need railroad tracks Just drive a cross I40 in New Mexico 😂😂😂

[@chrisborey1734]

@@Angora1908that’s for sure.

[@ninaalexa6163]

Try this truck in Michigan and those wheels would be uncovered in no time (pot holes). Also some times semis shed rubber and it's heavy and caused damage (when I was a kid the rubber came off a semi and took half of our cars bumper off)

[@TFLnow]

It has height adjustable air suspension.

[@vitaliyleonov8958]

@@TFLnow ok, but what if that tire burst? It will destroy a cover and you could just replace a tire on shoulder and continue to drive. Also when DOT will stop you for field check - how they supposed to check your front wheels? Every driver must go through circle check before driving - how they supposed to do it? It will never go on roads in this shape! mark my words

[@selfproclaimednobody4614]

​@TFL No, he's talking about having blowouts and the damage it will absolutely happen.

[@mikldude9376]

​@@TFLnowthat won't help mate , and the first time you hit animals out on the highway which happens often , all that fancy body work is worth nought .

[@scottyellis3442]

That's what I was thinking, if a tire were to burst "& they often do" say good bye to all that wheel covering. My brother drives a truck "log truck" & he had a back wheel to burst "1st axle closest to the cab" & it ripped off the battery boxes & destroyed the fuel tank. And that was on a 1985 Peter Built.

[@TherealBrian79]

I like the center seat , you don't have to worry about your co driver sitting beside you telling old highway war stories 😂

[@hallkbrdz]

That would become a great snowplow in winter.

[@chrisgeeseka5168]

I'm just wondering how you would do a pre trip inspection. Is there an easy way to inspect things Sure hope the design team didn't forget that part of trucking.

[@erikroberts3545]

@chrisgeeseka5168 I was thinking the same thing. I imagine the "hood" still tilts forward, but that would be a pain in the ass still to pre-trip.

[@lancemcdonald2078]

As Elon says, prototyping is easy, manufacturing at scale is very hard. Do you really think any of these trucks will hit the street?

[@MrGMawson2438]

For sure when pigs can fly

[@hammerlane3871]

I really fn hope not, cause that will be the day I stop driving

[@rmoore850]

Nope.

[@zoner__]

So is that Elon's excuse for putting out such crappy cars?

[@juanmoreno6071]

Elon musk says a lot of dumb things my friend

[@platinumjohnson4380]

What happens to the front end if you get a steer tire blow out?

[@rmoore850]

It rips off and flies into oncoming traffic.

[@frederickfaller899]

Bybu

[@frederickfaller899]

Better make it out of rubber

[@สุภารัตร์ศรีบุริน]

Lot of expensive fibreglass blows out with it!

[@bruceweirich3733]

💩 your pants

[@randgrithr7387]

So the engineers removed one axle, axed the sleeper bunk, and had it haul 15,000 lbs less than a normal truck. "Wow I can't believe the fuel economy went from 7.1mpg to 12mpg!"

[@floydrandol2731]

Yep, Not a real world Comparison. Single axles are very limited hauling capacity. Truck looks neat but wouldn't survive a year in the Real World. Look for how many Freightliners with low air dam ripped off. It also looks like it has very limited turning Radius. Trucker since 1977!

[@samanthaeichhorn4319]

If this makes it to the road what makes you think it will even need a human driver? I feel like that’s the direction they’re headed with designs like this!

[@bigbenguitarslinger494]

Empty at a constant 60mph I get 10 mpg out of my peterbilt 579 right now

[@randgrithr7387]

@@bigbenguitarslinger494 My Cascadia gets ~8.5 mpg at 65mph with 42k in the box. It easily gets 10 with light loads.

[@bigbenguitarslinger494]

@@randgrithr7387 exactly. 12 mag for a hibrid is kind of a disappointment,especially given the potential for upcharge for the new tech and difficulty in maintenance when using one-off parts

[@rexeverything100]

Designer is definitely a star wars fan

[@supramudkip4250]

​@fladave99 the Tesla truck is out on the road though. They are probably only local though and I've only seen them in California. Also I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as an aero truck hauling over 80k lbs that's why they make trucks specific to that industry and why older trucks are doing them instead

[@supramudkip4250]

@fladave99 and that's why they are only running local especially when their range is only like 400 miles max maybe.

[@infinitehexington]

@fladave99 way to be negative jeez, can't have nice things anymore

[@rhekman]

I do appreciate these kinds of advancements. With more efficient diesels and aero packages for box freight that fits, that leaves more fuel for the loads that just won't benefit - hauling excavators, logging trucks, agriculture, etc.

[@angryhairpeice]

Have you ever even been near a semi?

[@georgejuarez996]

One pothole and the wheel covers would be history

[@gn0s1s]

Yeah seems super impractical, also any debris on a highway, toast. What about winter driving with snow?

[@truhartwood3170]

Try watching the actual video. 🙄

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@gn0s1s it has air suspensions all around lol....

[@gn0s1s]

@@carholic-sz3qv They talk about low speed air suspension, like semi's already have, but most are capable of 8inches of ride height to clear pot holes etc, this one had 4-5 max. Also the fairings that are cheap to replace isnt the issue, its leaving debris all over the highway when they get torn off, that is the issue. As well in winter condtions, there are highways and passes with mandatory chain up sections. How to do you chain up the tires, on an internal covered wheel system like that, or change out a flat roadside... which happen all the time?

[@gn0s1s]

@@truhartwood3170 try not d riding a bad design so hard.

[@ag-om6nr]

The US trucking industry is getting dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century ! The US still has the potential to be an industrial powerhouse !

[@madguitarist]

It never stopped having that potential. It was just ignored by greedy execs who wanted cheap overseas labor instead of quality, American made products. America is a manufacturing machine when companies and governments aren't deliberately sabotaging it.

[@mrexists5400]

Breaking the backbone of the economy for the sake of imagined gains seems like a poor business plan

[@darrenammons5004]

OK pretty cool design even if it looks like the Mandelorian helmet, but how does a driver inspect the front tires or even the back tires for that matter? Unfortunately this truck would never be DOT compliant. And when that tire blows good luck getting damaged fairings off to change😂 And then there’s the controls, radio is almost behind you so no way to adjust while driving. What happens when truck mirrors strike a tree branch or clips another truck? Won’t be able to creep into a truck stop and grab a temporary one, so now your shut down till a mechanic can replace or fix $$$$$$$! Not to mention checking oil coolant and a whole slew of other vitals for safe and efficient transport of goods! Been driving trucks 34 yrs and this thing scares the crap out of me, glad I’m retiring in a few years!

[@MrThewhip333]

Super cool, looks like space age design from popular mechanics of the future . Love the grill

[@KAWTELENUH]

The brakes are gonna fade so fast. I can't imagine this downhill with the wheels covered with no air flow

[@imjody]

Is regenerative braking not a thing on hybrids?

[@Jay-pf6ln]

So funny how similar it is to the Tesla Semi inside. Acting like they came up with the centered driver seat with two screens on either side of the driver. And that entry and exit explanation was almost verbatim from Tesla. Great job Kenworth, lol

[@777Outrigger]

And the Tesla Semi's now on the road working.

[@solarissv777]

Maybe because laws of physics are universal? Musk stated himself, that many features of Tesla truck were copied from high speed trains

[@jasoncentore1830]

What about super teams driving? Sit on driver's lap?

[@angryhairpeice]

Also, why put the door on the street side, and not the curb side? It forces you to step out onto the highway/street.

[@WheresHerb]

Kinda cool but impractical. I wanna see it after 5 years on these horrible roads 😅

[@JoeSmith-v7o]

Five weeks on bad roads ought to be enough proof.

[@truhartwood3170]

Wow, this comment comes up so much! I didn't know so many people commented on videos they didn't watch!

[@WheresHerb]

@@truhartwood3170 I watched the whole video dipshit.

[@PonelyPonely]

They have a system that you can change the height while driving please watch the video first

[@mikldude9376]

​@@PonelyPonelySo you are traveling down the road at 60 mph and suddenly there is a deep dip in the road , have you got time to lift the suspension? If an animal runs out on the highway in front of you at highway speeds will you be able to lift the suspension to clear it ? Would you have time ? It looks fancy bud , but I'd be surprised if that fancy body work Lasted one trip without damage..

[@infernoking7504]

*hits one pot hole totals the entire side of the truck*

[@truhartwood3170]

It's a video. Watch it.

[@1555mrsmith]

The front also

[@MrMoneyHelper]

I didn't hear it all, but without that second axle the towing capacity is much lower.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Yeah how are they claiming full load capacity with two axles under current law.

[@h8GW]

@@sparksmcgee6641 I imagine only with 3-axle trailers like in Europe(not happening). Or maybe they just decided to have only a single rear axle so it's easier to mess with as a working concept.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

@@h8GW still doesn't pass the load law on that axle. I guess if you only load the trailer behind the front trailer axle. The did it for wieght. Then tested it off road to say it can pull a full load but everyone that actually drives knows it can't do it on a public road.

[@jakecarruthers6513]

The capacity will be lower, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's hauling less cargo since the truck and empty trailer themselves are lighter.

[@MrMoneyHelper]

@@jakecarruthers6513 80,000 pounds total for a conventional rig. Does it hall as much weight or less than a conventional rig. That wasn't mentioned. Each axle has a rating. Less axles means less weight. Were the weight limits per axle created for the truck or for the roads?

[@rickbullock4331]

How about driver accessibility for doing the pre/post trip inspections? What happens if the truck is involved in an accident and the front end is shoved into the wheel area and steering is compromised? That design is definitely looking an awful lot like the Tesla. Drivers will definitely have to get used to the whole in cab layout because it’s not the norm.

[@charyuna]

Kerbside loading and unloading only. That won't get pass the driveway. Better economy coz you get less payload. That's more downtime and less efficiency. If you had to get 300,000lb and travel overnight to meet the deadline, that's 3 drivers and 3 trucks. We haul 80 tons gross (200,000lb) one truck, 2 trailers in Oz now on main roads, soon may go to 120 tons. That is efficiency.

[@centralplumbing4397]

Just acknowledge The Tesla Semi influence, no one will fault you Kenworth.

[@Jeff-Vader_head_of_catering]

This is a cool idea. Diesel/Electric hybrids have been used on trains since the 1930's. I have a Diesel car, and I regularly get 52 miles per gallon in the summer. My all time best is 64 miles per gallon. If I could make my car a Diesel/Electric hybrid, I guarantee I could get close to if not, OVER 100 miles per gallon!

[@flyovercounty1427]

One wonders why Kenworth makes the time and huge investment in researching various concepts to build a test bed vehicle like this when all the geniuses of truck design are found right in the Yoo Toob comment section. The zero to 60 time wasn’t even mentioned.

[@MXP90DL]

This shows how much kenworth is worrying about the tesla competition. We'll sell it to coka cola and let them drive 100 of these around and then we can compair

[@dougschepers8470]

Can they run a refig.trailer with batteries only??

[@AppleUploader]

Lmao bro it’s a semi. Why is 0-60 even important to you this ain’t a Lamborghini 😂

[@Hugo-py2ce]

It's great that the future is going in this direction, just awesome.

[@ronsegarra6354]

On what US highway is this gonna be able to travel on? The first chunk of debris or a dead deer, all that shit is getting ripped off.

[@jonm7888]

Nobody watches the video. You all just make the same comment.😂

[@LowkeyXxx]

On a rail track

[@mikldude9376]

​@@jonm7888Well they are valid comments if you are a truck driver.

[@jonm7888]

@@mikldude9376 not if you watched the video.

[@TheHonestPeanut]

​@@mikldude9376did you watch the video or stay ignorant?

[@billpengelly7048]

If anyone else is wondering. The Kenworth SuperTruck 2 gets 16 MPG compared to the Tesla Semi which is estimated to get 20 MGPe. That’s very impressive for a diesel truck! But prototypes are easy, production is hard.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

It gets 12mpg. Listen to the video

[@andyharman3022]

Tesla's "estimates" have been proven to be WAY too optimistic in the past.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

@@andyharman3022 National association of fleet managers always ride I all the new trucks while they are in service. It's part of their convention. They got truck history and expenses on known routes and got to ride along to confirm them. Fleet managers aren't brand loyal thwy want the lowest cost to operate and years of Tesla production has been bought and the list is getting longer.

[@lifjyruss]

Like a few people on here are saying, What happens in the event of a blowout? How do you access the tires? I mean, it looks pretty damn cool. I just want to know about practicality.

[@nd3498]

When it has a blow out it's also going to slam to the ground. Trying to repair or tow this truck on a highway is going to be near impossible.

[@mikes.4136]

That is an amazing looking truck! It really does look like a bullet train. Incredible!

[@angryhairpeice]

Does amazing mean stupid where you're from, or have you just never been in/near a semi?

[@mikes.4136]

@ You chose an appropriate screen name. 😅😅

[@angryhairpeice]

​@@mikes.4136Better to be angry than blissful. Stay gold Ponyboy.

[@jeff119990]

interesting concept. i dont think the covered front wheel will see production but a fair bit from that will likely go into production trucks. if it just gets production trucks to 10mpg that is still about a 30% increase in economy which would be huge.

[@Nun195]

This isn’t a production vehicle it’s an engineering test bed, think of it as a concept car but for fuel efficiency.

[@h2opower]

I use to work on diesel trucks and Kenworth's were some of my favorites to work on. Cummins is doing great things with hydrogen and I'm leaning towards that technology as burning the hydrogen is the way to go as we have a few companies out there that have electrolyzers that are around 95-98% efficient which makes breaking the bonds of the water molecules feasible for use on the road as on-demand systems.

[@hh22]

when tesla semi did the centre driver position, it was horrible but now kenworth does it, its now brilliant?

[@anthonywilson9268]

It's still terrible.

[@mikldude9376]

Nah it still sucks mate , all these fancy allegedly hi tech machines are impractical and inferior to the old diesels which could go anywhere and pull anything . The old diesels where simple nuts and bolts , if you did have a breakdown, they where easy to fix , and get parts for . Make no mistake , tesla trucks and show pieces like this are toys .

[@infinitehexington]

@@mikldude9376 can't wait for you people to be dumbfounded

[@angryhairpeice]

No. It's not. It's like the people at Kenworth have never met a truck driver.

[@JasonWh]

I saw the Kenworth on the road last month. It was STUNNINGLY good looking!!

[@Winnyf1]

A great ride for reefer or dry van, not for flatbed and definitely nothing I would like to take off road. I hope they learn and incorporate hybrids in the future. You know I have the unique distinction of being an active truck driver and a former engineer, PACCAR really drinks their own bath water thinking this cab as designed for someone who lives in a truck. I would not like to live in this on a day to day basis given the layout. I don’t slam the central seating position, and I like the fact they are thinking of the future. I’d prefer them working with legal to bring something like Blue Cruise into class 8 trucks, that would make a huge difference to real driers and fleets who want to improve efficiency. Thanks for showing the public this beast, it’s an interesting talking piece that’s for sure.

[@MrGaryGG48]

I doubt that Kenworth has forgotten how build a sleeper. That bench seat in the video is maybe appropriate for a short haul, local rig but the cross country runs will still need sleepers.

[@blackbeard6861]

Never thought i would see a simi truck that couldn't go over a speed bump

[@hantzjerrypierre6902]

I am going to be Thomas here. I will believe when I see the steering tires.

[@MXP90DL]

Funny if they were 18" pickup tires.

[@Bigzero.Scratcher]

So what happens to the frame when 100psi blows on your steer tires?

[@morilot]

Yay. A prototype that never will be built .... Very exciting, not.

[@gaetanlefebvre7800]

Lmfao

[@MrSterling314]

​@fladave99 Except it isn't an ev. Did you even watch the video or read the title? They claimed to have made 12 mpg fully loaded. It's set up as a diesel hybrid, and designed to either be a hybrid, electric or hydrogen powered. It'll still probably never be made though

[@morilot]

@fladave99 ? It's a Diesel. Watch first comment later.

[@josegardead8946]

That's why we called prototype.

[@dabigisland1]

Looks and sounds great to me. Copied a diesel hybrid train engine. It works for trains so why not trucks. I like it.

[@Harrythehun]

So many positive comments in the comments!!!! I would love to hear more positive feedback from the TFL community!!! No wonder the world is fantastic with all cheering and support from all the old guys!!

[@Lostcause1974]

Was the cab weight reduction between dual rear axle to this single rear axle?

[@wushock92]

7 mpg to 12 mpg sounds great to this Suburban owner. I'd love to get 12 mpg in town 😆 I would think the central driver position would be beneficial from a production standpoint in that KW wouldn't have to have one version for the US market and another for Australia and the UK.Fascinating truck.

[@MrGaryGG48]

I think a large portion of that fuel mileage increase that Kenworth talks about it related to the aerodynamic skin and that's quite a stretch for the near future. The driveline they describe could be in production a lot sooner, I would expect, and 2 or 3 or even 4 more miles per gallon average would be huge to a long haul driver. It's killing the big freight companies but it's really hitting the independent owner-operators!! There are way too many trucks sitting idle just because the owner can't afford to stay in business.

[@argowal]

Forget Tesla? They are following their exact footsteps! Just copied the aero, the center driving position, but couldn't do the battery and electric drive train. I'd say they are squarely behind Tesla!

[@matt45540]

It's a diesel electric hybrid, meaning it's an electric drivetrain and you can plug whatever you want into it essentially. When batteries get better you'll be able to take out the engine and put a battery in its place..... In a perfect world

[@perpelle]

And how much could the tesla semi haul?

[@argowal]

@@perpelle more than that propotype, thats for sure. Electric motors are way more powerful than any diesel. The question is how far, as the batteries are the weak link in EVs at the moment.

[@perpelle]

@@argowal Total train weight is the issue, not power. The tesla semi is so heavy that it affects payload. Solvable with less batteries but with even less range then it already has.

[@truhartwood3170]

​@@perpelleNope. 300mi Tesla semi is

[@GracianoMartinez-o3n]

Trying going over railroad tracks

[@TheAfp377]

The guy said his buddy was getting 7.5 mpg hauling 80K. Im guessing that thing being single axle aint gonna be hauling 80k lbs, so its probably not an apples to apples comparison. Not being a trucker I wouldn't be an authority on that but im sure there's plenty of guys that would be able to clarify. I noticed the Kenworth rep didn't rush to tell us the difference.

[@jakecarruthers6513]

His buddy doesn't "haul 80k." The fully loaded legal weight of a typical truck and trailer is 80k. Roughly 32-35k of that is the weight of the truck and empty trailer. So he "hauls" about 45k. The trailer they used for testing is a van trailer custom designed for this truck. They cut out 7100 pounds from the truck and trailer, so we're missing about 8000 pounds if we're weighing against the legal maximum. My guess is that 72k is a fairly average combined weight for a typical fully loaded truck and van trailer. The only way to really know if we're comparing apples to apples is to find out the cargo weight and the weight on each axle of the loaded combination. If the cargo weight was over 40k and the axles are still legal while they're getting those mpgs, everything jives.

[@JuanAdrianRD]

I think you never visited Europe...

[@TheAfp377]

@@jakecarruthers6513 Gotcha on the 80k numbers. Are you saying Mpgs with the same amount of weight would be a fair comparison?

[@TheAfp377]

@@JuanAdrianRD Whyu do you think that?

[@jakecarruthers6513]

@@TheAfp377 the same amount of cargo weight as long as the axle weights are within the legal limits would ensure the claimed mpgs are legitimate by comparison to a typical configuration.

[@davidmccarthy6061]

Concepts are cool but I'll be more impressed if there is ever one hauling trailers on the highway.

[@pilotblue6535]

Reminds me of the old COE trucks of the 1950’s.

[@JetFire9]

Yep, you’ll be first to the accident again!! 😂😂😂

[@bartlevenson7851]

1952 bubble nose Kenworth!

[@zantefarm2362]

I want to see someone do a pre-trip on this truck 😂😂

[@wendellcrim8647]

How are tire chains installed?

[@jasoncentore1830]

You have accident first when the body panels destroyed you can get to the tire

[@angryhairpeice]

There is no way this can drive in snow. Even with chains. The snow will be pushed to either side creating berms that the truck can only go straight through. You will be able to turn the wheels, but not the truck.

[@PhilipCockram]

The bottom panels are "expected to hit" ....everything over the height of a pizza🍕😆

[@ralphjones587]

So now we can't look out the window to back up. and that fancy low body work is coming off like my 23 low bumper freightliner once it hit the road

[@Sonderax]

The disadvantages for covered front wheels far exceed the advantages.

[@icare7151]

The NHTSA needs to allow camera side mirrors vs physical side mirrors. Doing so will save billions of wasted energy from the added aerodynamic drag caused by the required large side mirrors.

[@aaronw8606]

Seriously? You do realize that the majority of Congress is so old, they still think cameras steal your soul. Hell, most of them don't even know how mirrors work.

[@CJPugh04]

There are trucks on the road right now with just camera mirrors. Schneider has been slowly adding them into their fleet.

[@Pesmog]

I see dozens of trucks every day in Europe with only cameras rather than mirrors as they are being widely adopted by transport companies. 👍

[@sparksmcgee6641]

​@@CJPugh04after market. They can't sell them that way

[@csbarnett1975]

Very beautiful design. I love concept vehicles. I know there are all sorts of future problems with wheel coverings and such but for a concept, it truly is a sweet looking ride. I'd love to just hear the road noise while riding in it, just to see how much was reduced compared. Lots of good data comes from these concepts.

[@wizardindustriesusa]

How would you change the tires in the field?

[@joshhaynes3383]

This is the real question that everyone wants the answer to.

[@jasoncentore1830]

Tire blows panels off and now you can change tire

[@TruckinDavo]

I like it!.. compared to all the other future trucks we've seen, this is my favorite so far.

[@Ryanstuff]

When will the regulation change so you can get rid of that stupid physical mirror mandate versus cameras?

[@ethancupp530]

Bridge law. Both sides are now blind side. Cant inspect steers. Steers are more narrow so higher rollover risk. Snow buildup on steers will immobilize truck. An injector failure means the whole cab is coming off the chassis. What they need to do is keep the dual rear axle. Add fairing actuators to raise out of the way for off interstate use/inclement weather (including a steer fairing cutout). And implement a powertrain rollout system like they used to use in old school busses for pretrip and repair.

[@USUG0]

make a series hybrid truck, where the diesel engine works only as generator at max efficiency, and a 100-200kWh battery. Then, I will take you seriously

[@Torch4ya]

Edison Motors enters your chat.

[@mikldude9376]

The problem is you are adding complexity and weight and extra up front cost . Even with buses , a friend of mine has small bus company and politicians are needling him for the farcical net zero BS to replace his diesel fleet which are reliable , have ample range , are easy to maintain . The electric/battery replacement costs more than twice the up front cost of a diesel unit , to hey have unacceptable range and are very costly to repair, but politicians are saying change or else . We have circus clowns for politicians.

[@USUG0]

​@@mikldude9376 (your) ignorance really is bliss. Do the world a favor and stop listening to Murdoch's propaganda, and above all, spreading it

[@mehowski]

This truck will have FULL air suspension. So at lower speeds you will NOT hit every pothole =D But I think this type of full faring truck will be mostly over the road --- highway spec. At the end of the day Super truck's are test trucks funded in large part by The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

[@husshardan3511]

Tesla's Semi is already in production. This Kenworth is 'look what we drew up!'

[@TroySavary]

All the major semi manufacturers have been delivering ekectric semis for a while now. Far more than Tesla has.

[@husshardan3511]

@@TroySavary I know Volvo has one, who else? kenworth scrapped their EV semi as they couldn’t make it work.

[@nkoster3717]

Ekectric? How many of those are ground up ekectric? Any on those ekectric units come any close to Tesla’s semi’s capabilities and cost. Good luck googling

[@TroySavary]

@@nkoster3717 Who cares if it is ground up electric or not? Thete is nothing magic about the Semi. Thousands of electric class 7 and class 8 trucks have been delivered by other manufacturers vs a handful by Tesla.

[@TroySavary]

@@husshardan3511 Mercedes, Freightliner, Mack, Volvo, MAN, Scania, Hino and Nikola are all delivering electric trucks. Probably more I missed.

[@mr.skipper4544]

Paid for by the department of energy " THE TAXPAYERS "

[@jstratton]

How much will the moose bars impact the range?

[@TFLnow]

Great question!

[@conorgraafpietermaritzburg3720]

Jolly good show- GC driving position saves you having to develop both left and right hand drive. The digital guages also facilitate both metric and Imperial units 😅 Go ahead Kenworth and get it production ready 😅😅

[@icare7151]

This is a diesel electric. The engine is not directly connected to a traditional transmission drive line system.

[@Ken_Koonz]

Like a train! I like trains.

[@PlayWaves1]

Not correct, it's a 48 volt mild hybrid. It still has a mechanical drivetrain with a 12 speed automated transmission.

[@Ken_Koonz]

@@PlayWaves1 So not like a train. 😢

[@icare7151]

@@PlayWaves1 Per Kenworth “It’s a diesel electric hybrid powertrain.”

[@ALMX5DP]

@@icare7151 also per Kenworth "The powertrain is based on a diesel platform utilizing the PACCAR MX-11 engine combined with the TX-12 transmission and a 48 volt electric motor for an efficient heavy-duty mild hybrid system."

[@markryl-kuchar2373]

I know in the medium duty, short route market an ev would make sense but without the ev charging structure in place for a fleet of commercial vehicles a hybrid like this would still drastically reduce fuel consumption but allow the charging infrastructure to be built without overwhelming the current electric grid

[@sparksmcgee6641]

We build millions of houses a year. We don't have any problem getting power to those. And none of you anti EV people talk about that. We build capacity when there's demand, not before. By law. If you have the actual demand, the power will be there.

[@johnminichielli8957]

"Looks like a locomotive". Locomotives figured out long ago that the most efficient way to move heavy loads was diesel-electric. Unless batteries and electric power generation take a quantum leap into the future, I think long-haul truckers will quickly realize that locomotives had it right. Edison Motors is on the right track. Tesla and all the other battery-only electric big rigs are much too heavy to make economic sense for the long-haul trucking industry. Time will tell who wins this race.

[@McExplorer1]

If something like this does ever hit the roads then I will retire from driving

[@Alex-ce8ln]

Soooo how’s this better than a Tesla semi?

[@nasimwehbe8410]

Still has a diesel engine, so it gets way more range.

[@jimgrady8004]

How's it better? It's diesel and it's a Kenworth.

[@aomurdock]

​@nasimwehbe8410 Gets more respiratory deaths too!

[@ha1010rd]

80 miles per charge on a ciber truck pulling an RV is totally unacceptable, I hope this does better

[@4vinylsound]

How does the driver change a front flat tire?

[@Winnyf1]

Looks like you flip open the hood and access the tires there, you would need to to this each time you stopped to check them as well.

[@4vinylsound]

@@Winnyf1 Unless they could take the side panel off the Fender that's covering the tires as well but like you said also to check the tire pressure etc.

[@atg1338]

Drivers don't change tires on big rigs🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@4vinylsound]

@@atg1338 my uncle did, my cousins do. If the driver is the owner they have to check/inspect the wheels n tires. Duhhhhh. 😆 🤣 😂 😹

[@atg1338]

@@4vinylsound so checking and inspecting is the same as changing the tire? Drivers don't change tires dummy.... don't be so ignorant son

[@tb8909]

Can’t wait for the first blowout! That will scatter some crap! Tire= $500. Truck repair = $25,000.

[@davidjernigan8161]

Too much of the aero on this truck will get destroyed through normal wear and tear. A thrown tread cap or blown tire will trash the side skirts, and driving into some yards to make deliveries would damage it as well.

[@anthonywilson9268]

You would lose half the front end if you blew a steer tire.

[@bruceritchie7613]

​@anthonywilson9268 blowing a front tire in any semi I imagine is going to be a very bad day

[@bripeck]

Imagine that thing plowing snow in the winter! 😂😂😂

[@HAHA.GoodMeme]

Super annoying that they are taxing us to death to pay for this crap.

[@yacahumax1431]

Not true. You taxes are high because the government keep sending billions of dollars to other countries, giving free money to illegals , paying for woke agendas and just plain corruption.

[@matt45540]

It's an investment, they spend lots of money to improve something so that everyone gets to benefit from it. Better gas mileage, more efficient, quieter, safer trucks. That means reduced transportation cost more than anything

[@propertypreparedness6846]

It’s the same people… somehow EV fans don’t understand corporations. Same people that monopolize fossil fuels have monopolized the EV and lithium markets. There is no free market at the top. I was an activist during the gulf oil spill, I am telling you EV battery disposal is infinitely worse.

[@mcsike7264]

​@@propertypreparedness6846they recycle ev batteries what you talking about

[@kolejnipolscykrakersi]

​@mcsike7264 by throwing them into the sea? Something like 20% of batteries can be partially recycled. Same reality as it is with plastics. BTW: There won't be long haul EV trucks for another 20 years. Look at any truck stop, You might finnaly get that ;)

[@ChickennGritss]

How would one do a Pre Trip Inspection? You can't even see the front tires. My opinion this truck lacks practicality, I have driven for forty five years this truck raises several questions capability for making deliveries, PTI looks hindersome, maintenance requirements look burdensome as well adding additional cost of time, labor, and down time. Stepping on dollars to pick up pennies

[@davidrudd9846]

Wonder how much Kenworth grifted the taxpayers for this cool looking rip off??

[@wayneyd2]

Loved the rocks catching windscreen

[@jamesyers1975]

Can’t wait to see a Swift logo on one of

[@jasoncentore1830]

You will find them w all the other swift trucks on side of road cuz of accidents and lots of ditches. Swift driver recently was using Google maps and found himself in a lake

[@jdqc]

It will nice to see them in 6 inches of snow or gravel roads we have in Canada frequently... simply impossible in my view this would work!

[@BJOLDSCHOOL71]

Driver if you don't understand the future of truck driving it does not involve you, it involves machines that will take your place and that will work 24/7, 365, no log book, no rest, no complaints, no medical, no dental no attitude.

[@WCR10851]

Wow! Thats beautiful! Tesla who?

[@ViQRoy89]

Nikola.

[@Motorcycledad160]

Been driving big trucks for 20 years, this is nice, the only problem I see is trying to back that thing in somewhere tight. It isn't going to happen with those stupid cameras. You have to be able to hang your head out the driver side door and see down your sight side. Driving a semi truck in the middle is not a good idea. Great job though Andre!

[@edwinstowinginc.1368]

Towing them is going to become an interesting journey.

[@TheMikelleh]

I bet drivers would love that cab.

[@mrrpepsi24]

Good thing all the controls are to the drivers left so he can take his eyes off the road

[@atanui1]

Here is a tip. Record the interview first then do the b-rolls and cut aways later or before. You can't do both at the same time.

[@renezamorajr910]

They need to make a day cab version for us line haul guys. It already has one axel makes sense

[@davidparkin9017]

With the front tracks so narrow, is there a loss of stability or increased risk of the truck flipping over?

[@andrewprior5080]

New driver, orange, 8.5 mpg freightliner

[@Streamer687]

I like the Drivers CAB layout, as for the rest of the truck(Retired 25+year trucker here), If i had to drive an Electric truck, I would choose the Edison... hands down...the truth needs to be told about this guys, way better thought out electic powertrain. As for the Sleeper, Install the new 2025 Volvo VNL interior, and NOW your talking about driver comfort.

[@phillyphil1513]

oh didn't realize Andre made it out to ACT Expo as well cool.🤙 flew out of Vegas on a Red-Eye last night and got back to the East Coast at 5:00am this morning. unfortunately never saw him nor Kyle nor Jordan, i only walked by Francie on the floor. i saw this KW on the floor as well, it's essentially a take on the Shell Starship that was demoing outside during the Ride and Drive. while the Starship had a traditional Tandem Axle, this was a Single Axle at the rear with the usual 1st Drive Axle deleted. additionally there's another Semi called the Windrose that looks to be a copy of the Tesla Semi that was also outside being demoed. the theme for the aero of all these designs is to mimic "Shinkanzen" (ie, Japanese Bullet Trains). thanks for the walkthrough Andre, reversing the frame rails is clever. 😎

[@TFLnow]

Sorry we missed you.

[@joebullwinkle5099]

Well, as an initial concept, I guess it's a baseline to work from, great to see that they increased efficiency by these huge margins. However, all those plastic fairings wouldn't last a week on America Hwy's. I still see that Tesla's truck is the leader right now, en-route charging infrastructure and mass production are the bottle neck right now. Will be fascinating to see over the next 10 years, where Semi Truck's will head, EV, Hybrid, Hydrogen or something else.

[@savancleveland7756]

Most of y’all are forgetting the purpose. The DOE is requiring this vehicle to be built. So yes, this is a prototype, but you will see about 80-90% of this SEMI on the road in this very near future. The DOE, like many other government departments, won’t budge on timelines for these kind of things. This is a diesel vehicle at an EV conference. They didn’t get approval because it’s kenworth, they got approval because the DOE forced them to. This vehicle is showing the world that change is coming but it’s not a complete electric take over. Yes the towing capacity is reduced, but we don’t have a problem with lack of trucks on the road, we have a supply issue with goods. The reduction of goods won’t affect anything, it’ll just promote trucking companies to hire more of these trucks when the “pre-2024” semi-truck ban hits the world.

[@joelesher7106]

"It a very impressive package!" That's what she said!!!😂😂😂

[@dwrjr27]

If all they include is the murphy bed with the sofa i'd be happy. KW's are the best trucks, the hybrid engine with 12 mpg and the weight reduction is going to be a game changer.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

It's not a hybrid. It doesn't have an electric drive. Regen to battery for ancillary demand