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Gordon Murray recently designed a flat pack truck for the third world: "[The Ox is] The world’s first ‘flat-pack’ truck [...] designed to provide low-cost all-t

Gordon Murray recently designed a flat pack truck for the third world: "[The Ox is] The world’s first ‘flat-pack’ truck [...] designed to provide low-cost all-terrain mobility for remote parts of Africa and the developing world" [1] I wish they would try to disrupt the first world first instead. [1] http://www.gordonmurraydesign.com/news-articles/the-world%E2%80%99s-first-%E2%80%98flat-pack%E2%80%99-truck-revealed,-set-to-bring-aid-to-remote-parts-of-africa-and-the-developing-world.html http://www.gordonmurraydesign.com/news-articles/the-world%E2... Edit: And a truck like this is just the thing for transporting crops or doing farm related tasks. This statement from 1 makes me worry, but I think it was meant to instill confidence, which is also worrisome: "It is unlike any other vehicle and has no direct competitor – whether from a concept, performance or pricing point of view."

Avshalom 10y ago
Of course you can buy like two Nissan frontiers or like 5 pixos (retail) for the price of of one of those, and spare parts and knowledge base for those is pre existing.
pimlottc 10y ago
Good grief, they go on about being "flat pack" and easy to put together but offer no photos of it as shipped or during the assembly process...
- sandworm101 10y ago
  Worse yet, they are playing tricks with the perspective. Look at the loading ramp. That's actually the rear gate unmounted and used as a ramp. But see how photographing it from that angle makes it look so much longer. The entire thing is a deathtrap. A used toyota pickup is better in every regard.
  - pimlottc 10y ago
    Yeah, I couldn't help but think there's probably a reason no normal car or truck on the road has completely flat sides.
    - tgb 10y ago
      Don't the LLVs that the US postal service uses have flat sides? Similarly for UPS trucks and the containers that eighteen wheelers haul. Seems pretty normal to me.
- tgb 10y ago
  I recall seeing a timelapse video of it being constructed, here's one http://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/09/ox-flat-pack-truck/ http://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/09/ox-flat-pack-truck/
toomanybeersies 10y ago
Hmm, rear coil springs on a cargo truck. Disk brakes on all corners too. I think Gordon Murray has spent too much time designing performance cars rather than utility vehicles.

Avshalom 10y ago

Of course you can buy like two Nissan frontiers or like 5 pixos (retail) for the price of of one of those, and spare parts and knowledge base for those is pre existing.

pimlottc 10y ago

Good grief, they go on about being "flat pack" and easy to put together but offer no photos of it as shipped or during the assembly process...

sandworm101 10y ago
Worse yet, they are playing tricks with the perspective. Look at the loading ramp. That's actually the rear gate unmounted and used as a ramp. But see how photographing it from that angle makes it look so much longer. The entire thing is a deathtrap. A used toyota pickup is better in every regard.
- pimlottc 10y ago
  Yeah, I couldn't help but think there's probably a reason no normal car or truck on the road has completely flat sides.
  - tgb 10y ago
    Don't the LLVs that the US postal service uses have flat sides? Similarly for UPS trucks and the containers that eighteen wheelers haul. Seems pretty normal to me.
tgb 10y ago
I recall seeing a timelapse video of it being constructed, here's one http://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/09/ox-flat-pack-truck/ http://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/09/ox-flat-pack-truck/

toomanybeersies 10y ago

Hmm, rear coil springs on a cargo truck. Disk brakes on all corners too. I think Gordon Murray has spent too much time designing performance cars rather than utility vehicles.