I’ll admit I do have a tendency to speak in hyperbole, but this time I’m making an exception only because Hyundai’s truck shows ‘truckloads’ of promise. I’m talking clean energy-burning, hydrogen-fuel-cell powered, autonomous driving, zero emissions, zero noise semi-truck with an ergonomic design that looks splendid from the outside and provides a stunning panoramic view on the inside. I love my cushy desk-job, but damn, if I had a chance to be a trucker with a Hyundai HDC-6 Neptune, I’d probably give it all up in a heartbeat.
Inspired by the aesthetic of the 1936 Mercury Train, Hyundai’s latest semi concept channels the art-deco beauty of the machine, giving it a suitable revival in the form of a sufficiently advanced truck capable of wowing people. The HDC-6 Neptune relooks the semi-truck typology by redesigning it around Hyundai’s zero-emission fuel-cell technology. The truck features a panoramic cockpit with a skylight that offers an incredible amount of sunlight during the day, giving the interiors a rather glamping-inspired touch. The truck comes with autonomous driving capabilities, allowing the driver to kick back and watch movies on a HUD built right into the truck’s windshield, or take relaxation to another level with the shape-shifting cabin that comes with two levels. As impressive as the insides are (enough to make me consider switching jobs), the exterior is just as wowing. The truck’s glass top is balanced with a seamless grille at the base that runs from end to end, helping with cooling. The truck uses hydrogen fuel technology that burns to release water-vapor, making the truck have zero emissions, while its bullet-shaped streamlined design helps improve fuel economy… and the cherry on the cake is definitely those shape-shifting rims on the wheels that help further air-intake!
Designer: Hyundai
