The OX can drive through 75cm of water and has a very wide track to ensure stability on badly rutted roads
IMAGINE buying a truck in the same way you might buy flat-pack furniture from IKEA. Well now a new lightweight, all-terrain truck, designed and manufactured in Britain, has become the world’s first ‘flat-pack’ vehicle.
It’s called the OX, and has been developed by the Global Vehicle Trust, a charitable subsidiary of the Norman Trust, to provide a vehicle at minimum cost to those in need, initially in Africa, and subsequently throughout the world.
The OX truck is the first vehicle specifically designed and manufactured in volume to meet the rigours of the African continent despite it being home to 10% of the world’s population.
Simplicity has been the principle behind every aspect of the OX’s development. Most panels are interchangeable from one side to the other, using the smallest possible number of components.
It takes three people around 5.4 hours to create the flat pack in the UK before shipping. Once at its destination, it takes another three people 11.5 hours to assemble the OX from the flat pack with no special skills or equipment are needed.
With its high ground clearance and short front and rear overhangs, the OX has been designed to tackle rough terrain and cross rivers.
Maximum payload is 2.0 tonnes (twice the capacity of most current pick-ups) and, following EU size guidelines, the OX can seat up to 13 people, eight 44 gallon drums or three Euro pallets
The truck has front-wheel-drive and is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine with a manual transmission. Its overall length is similar to an average family car, and weight is only 1.5 tonnes.
It’s possible that a ready-assembled version could be made available for European markets for a completely different take on the business van.
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