Unmanned cargo platform can definitely find its niche in the future. To reduce their size and to improve other indicators, the developers of General Motors decided to remove all the unnecessary abandoning of the cab and the other became the atavism of the elements. Instead, the base model they left only a four-wheel platform size shipping container-managed program of the autopilot. If you wish, you could put the cockpit, equipped with a closed body and to add to the basic design some more modules.
The idea of developers is simple: so the automated truck can be used in a variety of conditions, rapidly delivering it to the places of natural disasters, to dig, to use such units in the construction of mobile settlements for peaceful and military purposes. In ports and warehouses these automated platforms is also useful.
The novelty is called SURUS, and is working on a new hydrogen system, developed jointly with experts of the automaker Honda. In addition, each wheel is connected to its own electrical drive, so if necessary, the platform will be able to switch between hydrogen and electrovoice. In the future the developers plan to leave SURUS solely on electricity, but while testing the novelty in a hybrid mode. Now on a single battery charge SURUS able to drive about 600 kilometers.
Platform SURUS performs not only the function of transportation, but also helps GM to test its drone development. In the future the concern intends to enter into contracts for the supply of SURUS military and government, but the exact timing and prices have not yet been disclosed.
General Motors has developed an unmanned cargo platform on hydrogen
Vyacheslav Larionov