Friday, March 29, 2024

Pininfarina-designed Xingtu is a smart new energy heavy-duty truck

DeepWay, the company backed by Chinese internet giant Baidu, has presented Xingtu, a smart new energy heavy-duty truck aimed at automating highway mainlines. Designed by Pininfarina Shanghai, the Xingtu is the first fully self-developed intelligent new heavy energy truck in China, precisely designed for operational scenarios, fully satisfying the underlying requirements of intelligent driving.

DeepWay Xingtu features DeepWay’s Highway Intelligence System (HIS) based on Baidu’s autonomous driving technology. It is equipped with 11 onboard cameras, an infrared detector, 5 millimeter-wave radars, and a LiDAR sensor, thus achieving end-to-end autonomous driving and ultra-long-range detection of more than 1 kilometer.

As for deep performance, simulation tests showed a wind resistance coefficient as low at 0.35, which effectively reduces overall energy consumption. At a full load of 49 tons, Xingtu’s custom-developed 450 kWh battery pack can travel up to 300 km (186 miles) on a single charge. The battery itself is swappable in only six minutes for quick redeployment, and it can be fully charged in one hour. The lightweight, integrated battery and chassis design also greatly reduces wind resistance, and thanks to its architecture that integrates across multiple domains, the vehicle is much easier to control, making it more stable and safer to operate.

DeepWay Xingtu’s new generation of smart cabins adopts the concept of separate driving, working, and living spaces, giving more room to the drivers. Equipped with an intelligent voice assistant, a large touchscreen infotainment system, and ultra-comfortable seats and beds, freight drivers will experience a much more comfortable working and living environment while on the road.

“Heavy-duty trucks are rapidly evolving to adapt in a quick-changing environment where new technologies allow Smart and Connected vehicles to safely help everyday duty,” explained Matteo Piguzzi, Head of Design of Pininfarina Shanghai. “The sophisticated design of DeepWay introduces a new advanced language, where efficiency and aerodynamic work together to create an iconic exterior shape; and the interior perfectly integrates all the new technologies in a very modern and relaxed space, where the duty of traveling is transformed into an intuitive and seamless new experience. Intelligent, connected, premium but practical, DeepWay Xingtu has a pure and iconic design language, marking the future of a new generation of heavy transportation”.