Watch out Tesla Cybertruck, you’ve got some new competition.
An American design agency has revealed the bold and unconventional Thundertruck concept, which imagines what the future of full electric off-road vehicles could look like.
Design house Wolfgang LA spent lockdown working on the concept of a truck for the future that is “more versatile, powerful, adaptable and efficient” than any truck that exists today. The unconventional machine is the boldest reinvention of a US-style pick-up since the Tesla Cybertruck, but is intended to showcase off-road ability and features a number of novel concepts.
Describing the trucks that are slated to reach production soon as “uninspired” and “conventional”, the Thundertruck 4×4 concept’s makers have envisaged their creation as having 580kW, 1085Nm of torque and a 180 kWh battery to deliver a 644km range. They say that should be enough for even this 2.8 tonne beast to go from 0-100km/h in 3.5secs.
Its angular styling owes much to its intended use, with ground clearance of 37cm, a 42 degree approach angle, 82 degree departure angle.
What’s more, you needn’t worry about getting stranded if you run out of electricity, either, thanks to the concept’s solar awnings, which open up wing-like to expose the full surface area to capture the sun’s power, as well as giving adventure-exhausted occupants some shelter from the weather.
However, all of these figures pale into insignificance compared to the 6×6 version that Wolfgang LA’s team has also dreamed up. Here, power is raised to 682kW and torque to 1627Nm – although no 0-100km/h time has been simulated.
Thundertruck is purely a concept at present, although its creators remain optimistic that the project could reach production, saying: “By maximising the versatility of the EV drivetrain and combining it with the functionality of a truck, we’ve designed an innovative and versatile new multi-purpose EV that delivers superior on and off-road performance.”
Jim Holder