Scania has unveiled a battery electric self-driving urban concept vehicle designed to carry commuters in the morning and evening, deliver goods during the day and collect refuse at night.
The front and rear drive modules of the NXT can be fitted to a bus body, a distribution truck body or a refuse collector enabling the vehicle to change shape for varying urban assignments.
The bus module eight metres long and built as one composite unit, reducing weight to less than eight tonnes. The cylindrical cell batteries are placed under the floor to make use of what would be dead space and helping with weight distribution. Vehicle range (with present-day batteries) is estimated at 245 kilometres.
“NXT is a vision of the future for transport in cities. Several of these technologies have yet to fully mature but for us it’s been important to actually build a concept vehicle to visibly and technically demonstrate ideas of what is within reach,” said Scania president and CEO Henrik Henriksson. “NXT is designed for 2030 and beyond while incorporating several cutting-edge features that are already available.
“We at Scania can’t redraw the entire transport system for cities. What we can do is inspire change and that is the idea behind NXT – to think about transport and vehicles in a different and sustainable way,” he said.
