Ford F-Vision is a Look at the Future of Heavy Trucks

Zero-emissions Ford big rig drives itself and just plain looks badass.

Ford Motor Company recently used the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Germany to introduce the future of their legendary truck family, but it isn’t a new F-Series pickup. According to Fox News, the F-Vision is a zero-emission, self-driving big rig with a front end that changes colors and shifts the overall look with never-before-seen technology. While this is purely a concept vehicle, it shows some of the crazy technology that the company is working on as they look to the future.

Self-Driving, Zero-Emissions

Ford was short on the drivetrain details, but we know that the F-Vision is a Level 4 autonomous vehicle. This means that the truck will drive itself in some situations, but it still requires some human input. In other words, it isn’t like the cab in Total Recall, where every aspect of the vehicle is computer-operated. A driver will still have to start the vehicle and direct it, but in certain pre-defined areas or on the highway, this Ford truck will be able to drive without any human input.

As for being a zero-emissions vehicle, we only know that it is powered by some sort of electric drivetrain. Ford didn’t offer any information on the electric drive, nor did they state any range figures.

Transforming Face

Pretty much everything about the Ford F-Vision is unique when compared to any sort of modern, road-going vehicle, but there are lots of self-driving, zero-emission concept cars being displayed at events around the world. Those features don’t make the F-Vision unique from other models, but the exterior styling is unlike anything in the world.

The front end of the F-Vision is made of material that can change colors, so when the truck is in self-driving mode, the windshield switches from being tinted black to having the silver body color blend in, nearly wrapping around to the front of the vehicle. Along the same lines, the area between the F-Series-like LED headlights changes color, so it can turn white to serve as daytime running lights or it can flash orange to serve as a turn signal.

You can watch the face of the F-Vision transform in the video below from the Ford of Turkey YouTube channel.

Concept Only

Right now, the F-Vision is purely a concept vehicle, but we could see aspects of this truck on future production vehicles. Also, as autonomous technology becomes more popular, we might just see a production version of the F-Vision, hopefully with the same cool front end design.

Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Facebook   Twitter