IKEA style Truck for the Developing World – Global Vehicle Trust (GVT) OX truck is manufactured as a flat package for easy shipping and assembly on site. Once packed, six OXs can fit inside a single shipping container. After being unloaded the entire vehicle, engine included, can be assembled and running in just over 11 hours. To complement the OX’s already remarkable attributes the truck also has a “power take-off” that will turn the OX into a water pump, electrical generator, or mini saw mill.

A truck for the developing world
There are multiple design objectives of this truck: low cost, high load carrying capability, field assemblability, multi-functional. The designers picked low cost standard components and use modular building blocks to achieve these objectives. The engine that provides the power must be able to be removed and mated with other modules, such as water pump, generator and saw mill.

When disassembled the entire truck parts fit into itself to save crating cost. It is very difficult to design and build a low cost, versatile and reliable machine. Simplicity of the design is one important factor for the success. Remember the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid.

The steps in the [/Engineering%20Design%20Process Engineering Design Process] guide the design and building for this remarkably versatile truck.

• Ask – Where will the truck be used? How will the truck be used? How will it get there? What are the limitations for maintenance? The 2.2 liter, diesel driven OX weighs 1,500kg and “will seat 13 people, carry eight 44 gallon oil drums” or deliver a 2,000kg payload.
• Imagine – How can the cost of shipment be minimized? What are some ideas for keeping the cost of the truck to a minimum? The OX fits into a flat package for easy shipping and assembly on site.
• Plan – How can the basic truck be made more versatile? What other functions can be incorporated into the basic design? When unloaded, 73% of the weight is over the front axle and when fully loaded 53% is still over that axle. This contributes to excellent traction in both conditions.
• Create – What standard parts are available? Are tools readily available to assemble the truck at its destination?
• Improve – How can the basic truck be reused?

Engineering ideas

• design objectives, low cost, high load carrying capability, field assembly, multi-functional, standard components, modular building blocks, traction, weight distribution

Do it
Here are some challenges for you to work on…

• find other examples of vehicles that can be “field assembled”
• propose or find other machines that could be made from the parts of the truck that would benefit a rural village or town

Learn more…

• Construct Your Own Car In Under an Hour – A new open-source automotive project aims to bring cars to remote areas, facilitating transportation and providing support for growing businesses. Designed around an open-source framework, OSVehicle’s Tabby is a modular, open-air two to four seater that can be powered by either a traditional internal combustion engine, an electric motor or a hybrid drive. * Global Vehicle Trust – The XO truck
• IKEA style Truck for the Developing World