Trucks with longer noses and more streamlined shapes may soon appear on European roads. The European Parliament approved the new rules last week. However, such trucks as in the photo will not appear in the European Union, because their cab is much longer than assumed by EU regulations.
The new guidelines for truck manufacturers are part of the regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transport. MEPs and the EU Council last week approved, among other things, a CO2 reduction target for new commercial vehicles of 31% by 2030.
The construction parameters of trucks provided for in the regulations will help to reduce the number of accidents with fatalities, to reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, carbon dioxide emissions. The new trucks will be formally authorised in the EU from 1 September 2020.
Longer noses and cylindrical shapes
Truck manufacturers will be able to extend cabins by 80-90 cm, provided that they make appropriate use of the resulting space. They are intended to provide drivers with better visibility, improve their comfort, as well as to improve aerodynamics and add new safety features.
As a result, new truck cab designs in the European Union may include larger windscreens, which provide better visibility and reduce blind spots as much as possible. In addition, the body will be simplified to reduce fuel consumption (by 5 to 10 percent) and exhaust emissions. The rounded cab is designed to minimise the consequences of a collision with a pedestrian or a cyclist. Thanks to the right shapes, a person will not get under the wheels of the vehicle, but will bounce back from it.
Photo: Pixabay