Gordon Murray Design and consortium partners Delta Motorsport and itMoves are set to unveil the Motiv, a claimed unique and extremely versatile autonomous vehicle platform at the Move 2020 show in London on 11 and 12 February.
Part funded through the UK government IDP14 programme, the new platform is said to break the mould for future mobility development by creating a cost effective, ultra lightweight quadricycle vehicle platform that is designed to meet car crash safety requirements.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Alongside claimed industry leading safety credentials, the new fully electric unit targets significant cost savings and improved refinement over its rivals, while delivering the range capabilities, platform flexibility and plug and play versatility required by autonomous customers with personal mobility or commercial delivery requirements.
The Motiv is a single-seater pod which provides the versatility of either personal transportation or last mile deliveries. Engineered using Gordon Murray Design's iStream Superlight technology, the single seat layout provides a private mobility experience for people moving through busy cities, many of whom typically travel in larger combustion engine vehicles with single occupancy.
The designers reckon the pod has the potential to significantly reduce congestion and emissions in city centres due to its fully electric powertrain and compact footprint. The 1,628mm high pod is 2,537mm long and 1,310mm wide.
It can be adapted in the future to seat multiple occupants; for wheelchair use; or for commercial deliveries. In goods transport form, the platform can be altered to enable maximum load capacity, creating a volume of at least 1,100 litres.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataFor Mobility as a Service (MaaS) providers, the Motiv is said to offer compact size, extensive versatility and capable range and provides the opportunity for MaaS providers to use a product that is ready for immediate adaptation to driverless use with any form of autonomous technology. It is claimed is the first of its kind to offer this degree of integration simplicity. To support its transition to autonomous road use, the consortium aims to partner with autonomous technology providers for multiple pilot studies. Dependent on application and legislation, this will be the vehicle's final development stage ahead of mass production within two to five years.
The Motiv is powered by a 20kW electric motor and will have a 17.3kWh liquid cooled battery pack providing a potential range of up to 100km (62 miles). It will operate at speeds of up to 40mph (65kph), making it ideal for operating in urban and suburban locations. It is equipped with CCS charging capability and can recharge from 20% to 80% battery in 40 minutes.
It has ultra-lightweight high strength extruded aluminium in the chassis, composite panels and door, plus aluminium suspension to keep weight is kept to a minimum. Using this technology ensures the weight of the vehicle is kept below 450kg (excluding batteries), which reduces the amount of raw materials used in the manufacture of the platform when compared to conventional vehicle manufacturing techniques and also significantly reduces the size of battery required without affecting range.
The gullwing door provides claimed unrivalled accessibility and weather protection for passengers or loading goods.
Delta Motorsport provides the drive-by wire dedicated vehicle control architecture which operates steering, propulsion and braking. The electrical integration use a plug and play high voltage system that significantly reduces cost, alongside production and assembly times. Braking and steering systems are also small and lightweight for minimal intrusion into cabin space.
The includes an integrated HVAC system and room to perch a laptop.
Homologating the Motiv as a quadricycle has various benefits for OEMs and MaaS providers including light weight though it has been engineered to conform to European passenger car (M1) crash safety standards, making it the first quadricycle to incorporate passenger car safety levels. As a quadricycle, it is simpler to produce than a car.
