Shell has announced it will send a pre-production prototype of the OX flat-pack truck to India, showcasing the vehicle’s ability to bring low-cost all-terrain mobility to rural communities in developing countries.
The ‘OX to India’ mission is a joint venture between Shell and Gordon Murray Design (GMD), working in collaboration with the Global Vehicle Trust, with funding from Shell for an outreach programme. A re-engineered version of the vehicle will be completed by GMD for shipment to India in late 2018.
The OX is configured to carry a payload of 1,900kg and seat up to 13 people, and was designed to be lightweight and durable as well as cheap to maintain. It can be supplied fully-assembled or flat-packed for easy transportation and self-assembly, and the OX to India vehicle will run exclusively on Shell fluids including Shell Rimula, a high-performance diesel engine oil designed for demanding conditions.
“Shell is eager to play a role alongside others in developing and promoting mobility solutions in developing regions. The OX to India demonstration will see the concept validated and discussed on the ground in a real world setting. We know limited mobility in hard-to-reach communities in developing economies can restrict access to basic services, and can limit the effectiveness of efforts to improve the quality of life. The OX has the potential to broaden access to transport possibilities and all the resulting benefits that come with this,” said Huibert Vigeveno, Executive Vice President, Shell Global Commercial.
