Shell is bringing the Ox flatpack truck to India

Oil and gas company Shell is bringing the world's first flatpack truck Ox to India. Shell plans to demonstrate its capabilities in India and hopes to find potential customers.

The Ox was conceived by Sir Torquil Norman and was designed by car designer Gordon Murray. Their aim was to build a durable, all-terrain light truck for developing markets. The first prototype of the truck was built in 2016, which was later modified with a more durable gearbox and steering components. As part of the upgrade, the Ox also received an updated powertrain, better cooling system and the wheelbase was extended by 200 mm. 

The Ox features a cab-forward design with three abreast seating. Like the Gordon Murray designed McLaren F1, the driver of the Ox sits in the centre. The interior of the cab is very basic and comes with a 3-spoke steering wheel with the gear lever placed next to it on the left. The Ox has a boxy shape with a raked windshield upfront and circular headlights. The rear loading bay has bench seats and enough space for eight 167-litre drums. The Ox is rated for up to 1,900 kg of payload or can seat up to 13 people.

The truck is built around a steel ladder chassis with bonded wooden panels. The entire cab is designed to fit within the chassis rails, which makes it easier for shipping. Besides, a standard 40 feet container can accommodate 6 Ox kits along with engines. Assembling the truck from the kit takes less than 12 hours for a team of 3 and does not require any special tools.

The engine is borrowed from a Ford Transit van. It is a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel unit, which produces 98 BHP and is paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. It features all-independent suspension with long travel steel leading arms in the front and trailing arms in the rear.

Source: Autocar