DESIGNER INTERVIEW JON POPE
ABOVE: Jon Pope’s batterydriven
concept bulldozer,
which could be a reality by
2028, shares some styling
with his design that fi rst
appeared on the cover of our
Off-Highway Annual 2018
deeply interrelated to other
industries. Not to get too political,
but here in the USA there are things
that could be done to help the heavy
equipment industry that would also
help the country, and that’s a badly
needed grand infrastructure
programme. It would be a win-win,
but for probably two decades now
we’ve been getting close to a failing
grade in infrastructure.”
Dozer concept
In between bike rides Pope has been
working on a vehicle that he began
in December but was sidelined by a
ConExpo project. It’s a futuristic
battery-powered 210 metric ton
bulldozer concept, an electri ed
update of a previous machine,
and projected to exist eight years
in the future.
“One possible direction for future
battery power is solid state
technology and that is the power
storage system I chose for this
concept,” he says. “One of its
advantages is that it requires no
cooling system, meaning the entire
lower three chassis and track frames
are lled with solid state battery
banks. is machine also uses super
capacitors to aid under heavy load,
store regenerative power from the
traction motors and aid in quick
charging the batteries. ey do
require cooling so the super
capacitors and their cooling systems
are mounted on the upper
superstructure. Hydraulic pumps
and motors are modular. ey can
be quickly taken out as one unit and
are located at ground level for easy
servicing and or replacement.
Access to a pump is also at ground
level to allow for safe hydraulic
reservoir lling.”
Pope’s concept machine brings
the conversation neatly round to the
iVT Design Challenge (see below
le ), our very own concept
competition and one that Pope has
contributed to previously. “It
typically comes at a period when
you don’t have time, but this time
round may be di erent,” he says. “It’s
a great opportunity to showcase
your skills and get something
published in a magazine that’s
renowned throughout the industry.
I can’t deny it has directly and
indirectly led to new work for me.”
I joke that he may be barred from
entry on account of his experience
and previous exposure. He laughs,
readjusts his baseball cap and ends
the call with a smile. iVT
CALLING ALL INDUSTRIAL VEHICLE DESIGNERS!
The iVT Annual Design Challenge is back! Its purpose is to
inspire new thinking in off-highway vehicle design in order to
meet the constantly evolving demands of the industry via the
use of innovative materials, concepts and components. The
Challenge helps to promote the work of industrial designers
– new or established – pushing the industry forward and
bringing it face-to-face with fresh challenges, enabling us to
address them as an industry.
What makes for an innovative machine? What ideas help us
see into the future? Can you create something that will
completely change our understanding of what an off-highway
vehicle can be?
The Challenge
“Design an industrial vehicle that includes new styling and
functionality that takes full advantage of existing and possible
future trends in electrifi cation.”
Deadline for entries – Friday 10 July 2020
Qualifying entries will be featured in the iVT Off-Highway
Annual 2021 (published September 2020) and on
www.ivtinternational.com. Send high-resolution images
and a brief written explanation of your vehicle to
saul.wordsworth@markallengroup.com
On the Web
To listen to a podcast of this interview with Jon Pope
visit www.ivtinternational.com/podcast
14 iVTInternational.com June 2020
/www.ivtinternational.com
/podcast
/iVTInternational.com
link