MFA Transportation Design 2021
LINK
FROM CITY TO NATURE
by
ANDREAS BERG
LINK
Program director Project tutor / UID
Project tutor / Cliff Design Project title Author Demian Horst Jonas Sandström Kristofer Bylander Canoo Link Andreas Berg
Umeå Institute of Design - Umeå University MFA in Transportation Design / Degree project
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
6
Abstract
8
Introduction
10
Process
14
Result
62
Conclusions & Reflections
80
References
82
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THANK YOU
Demian Horst and Jonas Sandstöm for all the tutoring and support during the project and for making this such a fantastic education.
Kristofer Bylander at Cliff Design for all your feedback and support during the project.
Emil Sandström at Umeå Kommun and Region Västerbotten for sharing your knowledge around mobility.
My classmates for everything you taught me and all the good times we had.
My family for always believing in me and for all the help and support.
UID for these fantastic years and everything you taught me.
ABSTRACT
People in cities have a need of recreation. Leisure activities are a big part of people’s health and well-being. Many leisure activities are practiced outside in the nature. Today many citizens do not own a car and public transportation fail to meet the peoples need to move out from the city center out into the wild nature. Public transportation run according to a certain timetable and an established route. They also come with restrictions of what you can bring on board. In other words, there is a need for agile transportation that transport people and their equipment from the city out to the nature; and the need will only increase as the urbanization continue.
The whole idea of the project originated from the question, “How might future mobility adapt to fit people’s need for recreation?” The project started with a research. The author studied trends how cities will develop, what defines generation Z, how 6G can be used in the future transportation industry, how electrification changes the terms of car design, the current status of autonomous technology etc. The research also included Canoo, a car company that design, develop and build electric vehicles with focus on lifestyle, utility and sustainability. After completed research, the project moved into a creative phase which included analog sketches of the vehicle, testing of proportions in scale 1: 1 and a storyboard that describes how the vehicle can be used. When the
creative phase was done, the project moved to its final phase; visualization. A 3D model was constructed in Autodesk Maya, a polygonal modelling software, and rendered images of the 3D model was conducted with Autodesk VRED, a 3D visualization software.
The project resulted in Canoo Link; Link, targeting year 2035, is an electric autonomous utility vehicle that you subscribe to. It can carry 4 passengers and has storage space to haul equipment and supplies for canoeing, mountain biking etc. With its robust design and high ground clearance it is ready to take on some tough terrain. The subscription offers the customer full disposal of the vehicle during the activities for convenience and security. It acts like a hub for your activities, not just as a vehicle for commuting.
To summarize; Link is a design proposal of a vehicle that connect people living in cities to the nature. It is not just a car that takes you from one point to another, it is a lifestyle.
Keywords: Electric vehicle, Autonomous driving, Utility, Subscription, Leisure activities, Nature
Inspirat ion Resul t Pr ocess 2
Urbanization in Sweden gained momentum at the beginning of the 20th century with industrialization and the fact that people moved to the cities to get work (Svanström, 2015).
According to Boverket (National Board of Housing, Building and Planning) the urbanization trend today is more complex than before and they also see that the increased refugee immigration in Sweden creates a different pattern. The population in the countryside does not decrease, but the population in the cities increases through immigration. Boverket made in 2012 a vision for 2025 that the cities would be densified instead of using new land and that existing infrastructure would be retained (Boverket, 2019).
The vision of tomorrow’s cities is that they have become denser and the number of parking spaces has decreased in residential areas, through decisions on changed parking standards with the desire to minimize privately owned cars. (Naturskyddsföreningen, 2020). The author is passionate about finding other ways to replace private ownership of cars. He is fascinated by the rapid development that is taking place in the transportation industry and sees what great potential and opportunities future technology can generate, to explore and develop new solutions for mobility adapted to future generation needs.
BACKGROUND
Cities of the future will have changed by residential areas that become denser and people who do not own a car to the same extent as previous generations. Those who do not own a car will be dependent on well-functioning public transport or other shared mobility solutions.
The transport infrastructure in the future needs to be developed to contribute to sustainable urban development. Today, the infrastructure around public transport is not flexible and adapted based on people’s different needs. Public transportations run according to a certain timetable and an established route. They also come with restrictions of what you can bring on board. If public transport cannot meet people’s future transport needs, it provides an opportunity for the automotive industry to find a market to cover that need.
The author himself grew up in a suburban area, which was close to nature and provided opportunities to perform various leisure activities. For people who live in cities without a car and want the opportunity to get out into nature, public transport is not an option to use. As passengers are not allowed to bring bigger equipment. The author has identified this as an interesting topic and opportunity to work with.
The author follows the development that is taking place in the transport industry and see here the potential in what future technology can generate and develop new solutions adapted to the needs of future generations. As a complement to those who choose not to own a car, the automotive industry can find a market where people can share the same vehicle. If more people can share the same vehicle, this could lead to a reduction in the number of cars manufactured and that we as humans can become more responsible and consuming less of the earth’s natural resources.
The transport and automotive industry are undergoing a change with a strong focus on sustainability, making the industries look for different models of use and ownership. To meet future challenges, the automotive industry must continue to develop to be more sustainable through new innovations and technical solutions to live up to the UNSDG (United Nation Sustainable Development Goals). It will be necessary to invest in developing new sustainable transport solutions that complement the existing infrastructure around public transport.
Designers can satisfy the consumer by making the product functional but also aesthetic appealing. It is essential for the designer to understand the customer’s needs and to look ahead and identify trends so that modern design and technology can be adapted to fulfil their desire.
RELEVANCE
This project takes into account the following points of United Nations sustainable development goals.
“The more we share,
the more we have.”
PROCESS
The idea of the project is to cover a need that public transport does not offer. People living in cities must be able to have an active and social life but also contribute to creating a sustainable society and reducing climate impact. The project aims to propose a vehicle that will offer people an alternative mode of transport with functional spaces.
In the creative process the author will brainstorm and generate possible concepts with traditional analog sketching. Testing of chosen concepts will also be
done in scale 1: 1 by taping on the floor to be able to define the pros and cons for the package of the vehicle.
The end result will be visualized in the form of images where Autodesk Maya, a polygonal modelling software, will be used for the final 3D model together with Autodesk Vred, a 3D visualization software to generate renderings for the final outcome.
RESEARCH
The author’s approach on the thesis was to start researching by collecting information from various websites, reports and videos around public transportation and people living in the suburbs. After discussions with an anonymous source at Region Västerbotten and Emil Sandstöm at Umeå kommun, the project’s focus changed to people living in cities with the need of being able to transport themselves out into nature to enjoy various leisure activities.
FUTURE CITIES
By 2035, less people will own a car and cities are becoming denser mainly to accommodate more homes. With densification it becomes equally important to plan public areas to meet new needs. Parking spaces are reduced in new residential areas and streets within the city centre are replaced with walk and bike lanes and roads for public transportation. At the outer edges of residential areas, streets are adapted for cars (Fastighetstidningen, 2015).
RING ROADS
More cities are planning and building ring roads around the cities. The purpose of a ring road is to divert traffic away from the buildings in order to improve air quality and reduce car traffic in the city centre (Umeå kommun, 2020).
DENSIFYING OF CITIES
We have an increasing population in Sweden’s cities and there is a shortage of housing. This has been developed by growing outwards, which has led to an increased dependence on cars and the disappearance of natural land. Densification, i.e. building the city inwards, is then seen as a strategy to be able to build housing, but at the same time to prevent cities from spreading and using valuable land (naturskyddsföreningen, 2020).
TRAFFIC OF THE FUTURE
The cars of the future are most likely self-driving and will not be owned by private individuals to the same extent as today. Being able to rent different types of self-driving vehicles for different needs will be possible for individuals who do not own their own vehicle. Rental companies will also be able to offer different types of services where partners have an opportunity to equip the car according to the customer’s needs.
GENERATION Z
This is a generation that is defined by people born between 1995 to 2012. They are growing up in a world of information technology, where physical work is replaced with the handle of information, which are easy access by TV, computers, tablets and smartphones. That can be used for entertainment, research and education.
To get attention from a gen z can be challenging. The secret to get their attention is to be on multiple online platforms, since it is a generation that likes to multitask. Other things that will help to get their attention is to make sure that all content that is created and posted needs to contain enough rich and engaging information; that is reliable and truthful with the possibility to educate or entertain. Otherwise, they will not care about it. But if the content do fulfill their requirement, then they can spend hours evaluate, compare and search for the most relevant content or product they see as most valuable (CGI, n.d.).
They are leaving digital footprint already as kids, since they are a generation that never lived a life without internet. They are online 24/7 and are spending more time with friends electronically instead of meeting in person as it is easier to communicate from distance with today’s technology.
This is a generation that is ambitious, well educated that have high expectations on themself and things around them. They want to spend their time on work that really matters and making a difference. They do not see work and life as separated parts where you work from 9-5 and have a fixed place. As long as you can log on and login they are at work. They are living in a work-life blend were work and life is 24/7 which gives them a more flexible lifestyle.
They have grown up in a world that is in a constant development which make them not afraid of change or failure. They are optimistic and belive that anything is possible, only if they put their mind to it. With online platforms they can create, learn, try, fail and publish.
This makes it possible for them to pursue their passion in an easier way than ever before. As it makes it easier to reach out to more people without leaving their home.
When they look at generations before them, they see a generation that stands for capitalism, materialism and overconsumption. But the gen z has more interest in a shared economy with a more simplified living. They want to be responsible when it comes to consuming stuff. Things that they see as important are questions that concerns topics as the environment, health and the planet (Opsahl, n.d.).
Today’s young people already have a different view of our climate. Part of that is thanks to the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg who has started and is the leader of a global climate movement. She has inspired millions of people worldwide and is seen as a role model for many young people.
She talks about the fact that the climate crisis has been ignored for decades and people need to understand the seriousness of the challenges it brings (Great big story, 2019). People must change their lifestyles. It is not sustainable to live a life as many do today. One thing that needs to be changed is the way people transport. Owning a car is not sustainable. Switching to public transportation could be a way of minimizing the number of vehicles on our roads.
“The climate crisis has already
been solved. We already have
all the facts and solutions. All
we have to do is to wake up
and change.”
WIRELESS NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
Future mobile network will play a big role when it comes to autonomous driving. It could help with reducing road accident and smoother flow in the traffic. We are already seeing technology today that help us support over driving, but when the world is introduced with 6G the technology for autonomous driving could take us to the next level. Self-driving vehicles could in the future communicate with each other on a bigger scale than they do today, connected they could gather and share information with each other in real-time. The reason for this is because 6G can handle a lot of data, compare to previous generation of mobile network, which is a central role when it comes to autonomous driving. Because the vehicle needs to handle big data in a short period of time to be able to navigate in our world to make fast decisions.
With autonomous vehicles there will be economic benefits, easier to travel and transport will be more streamline. But the biggest impact will be for safety. Up to 95 precent of the accidents that occur on the roads
happen because of the human error (Ericsson). With driverless cars, that number could be reduced, and we would see a future that is more efficient, sustainable and safer.
OVER-THE-AIR
Connected vehicles that are mobile network-aware could easily update the software remotely over-the-air. Updates of the car´s software and cyber-security are important for manufacturers to make sure they can provide security, improve safety, reduce time-to-market and increase their vehicle value proposition (Brisbourne).
This would help the car manufacturer have a better eye of how the vehicle works. But the data they receive 9
would not only help the manufacturers to improve the performance of the vehicle. It would also create a better experience for the customer.
A big advantage of IoT (Internet of Things) is that car manufacturers can fix mundane development errors from distance instead of that the customer needs to bring their car to the dealership.
Doing updates over-the-air would benefit the environment if compared to physical updates if we look at a sustainable point of view (Öhrn, 2020). Because it would be fewer trips to the dealership if there would be any development errors. Customers simply gets a request for an update sent by the dealership and the car fixes the problem by itself. If this would be more economical for the manufacturers is uncertain. For the consumers, this means a better experience and are incentivized by sharing data in exchange for a small amount of money.
10
Vehicles with self-driving technology will require system updates to function properly. Maintenance of vehicles would be facilitated if it could be done remotely.
STARLINK
High-speed Internet connection is something that not everyone has access to. Especially in sparsely populated areas which can be hard to reach and also be unreliable or expensive. This has led companies to start looking for ideas that can solve this problem. Companies such as Google started the project Loon in 2008, where they sent a balloon into the stratosphere to provide Internet connection to people living in sparsely populated areas. Other companies such as OneWeb and Amazon with Project Kuiper have the idea of a constellation of satellites put into orbit. But the company that is a leader in this and has
already started is SpaceX with their project Starlink (Jennerholm Hammar, 2019). With a satellite-based internet connection, their goal is to be able to provide the whole world with high-speed broadband internet. The first satellites were launched in May 2019, and the company has received permission to send a total of 12,000 but has applied for another permit to send up to 40,000 satellites. Which assessor is said to be needed for the company to be able to offer its service no matter where anyone is on earth (Wilhelmsson, 2020).
The author sees this as the future of connecting to the mobile network and the benefits versus the technology of radios used today. In the remote areas, it is not as economical and easy to set up radios everywhere. Unlike what you can do inside the cities where there is the possibility to use the roof of the buildings.
The author sees the possibilities of creating a smoother and more stable connection to vehicles with self-driving technology with the help of satellites that are evenly distributed in orbits around the earth. A good connection is an important factor for self-driving technology to work correctly. With today’s technology, significantly more radios will be required to guarantee a good connection.
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
From the major car companies as well as many technology companies from all around the world are working to build autonomous driving technology. This was long seen as sci-fi, but the technology is rapidly developing, and big progress in the development is now happening.
With driving assistant technology, the driver can feel safer, and companies all around the world are working hard to improve the technology. It assists the driver to handle the car on the road better, but it could in the future be self-driving without the driver behind the wheel. Exactly when fully autonomous cars will be on the road is uncertain. Some companies say it will be decades away, others a couple of years. (Synopsys, n.d.)
TECHNOLOGY
LOCATION
GNSS-system (Global Navigation Satellite System) is used to enable the vehicle to navigate and know where it is in relation to roads, traffic signals and other landmarks.
ROUTE PLANNING
A driving assistance software makes all the decision-making, meaning how the vehicle can and will drive. The software is supported by sensor fusion which handle the signals from the sensors and process them in order to make sense of what they are telling the system. All calculations are handled by a computer that processes the information
PERCEPTION
Sensors in form of sonar and radars are used to scan the surroundings to detect obstacles along the way. This can be used together with cameras to identify road signs, pedestrian, cyclists and other vehicles around the vehicle (Waldrop, 2015).
COMMUNICATION
Vehicles equipped with ITS (Intelligent Transport System) can communicate with each other, V2V (vehicle to vehicle), where an Internet-based communication network is used. Communication can also take place between vehicles and superior traffic systems in the infrastructure, V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure), along the roads such as traffic lights (Cybercom group, n.d.)
LEVELS OF AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
Autonomous driving can be divided into five levels, which are described below (Geospatial World, 2018). LEVEL 0 – No automation.
The human driver handles the car without any assistant LEVEL 1 – driver assistance:
The driver can be assisted with cruise control. The car informs and assist in situation like emergency braking and collision warning
LEVEL 2 - Partial automation.
Driver are in control of the vehicle with support of a higher level of Driving assistance system like adaptive cruise control and parking line detection and autonomous emergency braking. And must always have eyes on the road.
LEVEL 3 - conditional automation
The system has full control of the vehicle but signal the driver to take control when the system senses it can’t handle certain traffic or weather condition.
LEVEL 4 - High automation
The system doesn’t need any assistance from the driver but could keep an eye from time to time.
LEVEL 5 - Complete automation
No driver required. So steering wheel and pedals are no longer needed.
Full autonomous driving offers new interior layout options, since no driver is needed. Seating positions are flexible and not constrained as with conventional vehicles.
BEV – BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE
There are many good benefits to using electric cars, but they also come with disadvantages. The range is one, where it can vary greatly between car companies. The cars on the market today have a range between 20-80 miles. The technology is available for building electric cars with a longer range, but it comes with a high cost. Technology is evolving rapidly, and prices have fallen in recent years. So, we will see a future of electric cars with a much longer range than today. The range of the battery can be affected by a variety of reasons such as weather conditions, rolling resistance and electricity consuming components in the car. But the most crucial is the speed (Grön bil, 2019).
CHARGING
Another problem is the infrastructure around charging stations around Sweden. There are a limited number of fast-charging stations, which can create difficulties if you have to travel longer distances. There are more in cities and around urban areas than in the countryside. But new charging stations are popping up all the time and there are plans to expand the number of charging posts to 260,000 across the country by 2030 (Kristofer, 2020). That should benefit the electric car to get a place in the countryside. How long it takes for a full charge depends entirely on the size of the battery and the built-in charging capacity as well as which charging solution being used.
SKATEBOARD CHASSIS
A Skateboard chassis is a self-contained platform that is integrated with a battery, electric motors and drive components. To develop and build a new chassis for a car is very complex and expansive for a car manufacturer, but with the skateboard chassis, it can help to bring down the cost as it is scalable so it can adjust to various sizes which allows the manufacturers to use the same platform for several EV’s segments (McIntosh, 2020).
Thanks to the batteries position in the floor structure give the vehicle a low centre of gravity and improve the handling. This also allows for more space for passengers and cargo as the components are
mounted low and tucked in. Car manufacturers have the possibility to tailor the battery to the vehicle’s requirements as the battery can be modular, and this by simply adding more cells which will help to increase the vehicle’s range and performance.
Canoo is a new automotive brand with headquarters in Los Angels was founded at the end of 2017 by Stefan Krause and Ulrich Kranz. A company that focuses on manufacturing electric vehicles only for subscription. The company has grown and are today close to 400 members. Their goal is to be able to create and offer their customers affordable electric vehicles in cities around the world. The plans are that Canoo will launch its first production car in 2021.
Canoo’s plan is to rethink the traditional business model in the automotive industry. Building electric cars is expensive, so their strategy is to focus on reducing costs and generating higher revenues, and that among other things developing a platform to be able to adapt to different car models (Shieber, 2019). This makes it possible to reduce R&D costs and to
CANOO
16
SUBSCRIPTION
Canoo believes that there are better solutions than owning your own car. They want to move away from the traditional car ownership and offer subscription to their customers. They want to be able to offer a hassle- and commitment-free EV subscription for an affordable prize. Their subscription may include service in the form of registration, insurance management, maintenance and charging of the vehicle (Fully charged show, 2019). streamline production. Canoo also collaborates with other partners in areas such as self-driving technology where expertise is needed to be able to offer the best experience to their customers.
17 18
“The great freedom that owning a car once
gave you is gone.”
Canoo sees that electric cars do not have to look like traditional cars, but still they do. They want to take a step away from the traditional three box design where space for engine, passenger and storage are separated (Ip, 2021). Instead, Canoo wants challenge the norms of space and function. To simplify the design and open up more space for passengers. This is thanks to the flat EV platform, which is based on being able to adapt to different models.
Canoo have launched three vehicles, all with unique target areas. The lifestyle vehicle is the first to be shown to the public. It offers interior space of a SUV with the footprint of a compact car. With bold design, high ground clearance and utility inside and out it is perfect for city explorers, businesses, families and adventurers. The front is featured with Canoos unique street view window which provide the driver better visibility.Canoo has no logotype on their cars.
They believe that their headlights and taillights are significant enough to serve as the brand identity. The MPDV (Multi Purpose Delivery Vehicle) offer small businesses, fleets and last-mile delivery companies a vehicle with class-leading cargo volume. The design of the vehicle provides workstations to store and access a variety of devices, products and equipment. It can also work as a power plant, making it possible to charge equipment and tools at remote areas.
The pickup truck is their third vehicle which is a multifunctional vehicle adapted to handle to maneuver for any terrain, making it ready for work and adventure. The pickup truck is featured with accessories that accommodate on-site jobs. This includes an extendable flatbed with space dividers and multi-accessory charge port, exportable power, fold down worktable and cargo storage, flip-down side-tables, sidestep and storage (Ho Ip, 2021).
DESIGN
19
The author identified an unexplored area for a new type of vehicle, a utility vehicle that is all-electric and fully autonomous driven.
BENCHMARK
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32RESEARCH CONCLUSION
The author’s research was based on reflections on how people in the future will live and work in suburbs. What ways will it be possible for people to transport themselves, such as by public transport or by car? The author began by researching his idea by collecting information from various websites, reports and videos. During the first weeks of the project, the author was in contact with Region Västerbotten and Umeå Kommun to get a better understanding of how public transport works today. They presented their views on how public transport can be developed in the future to be competitive and economically profitable. After these conversations, the author was able to ascertain that their focus is on transporting people from point A to B. After doing more research, the author decided to focus instead on people who live in cities. Cities are changing by creating more sustainable centers and that decision-makers do not want to spread residential areas but instead densify cities and reduce the number of parking spaces. The focus is changing from being an accessible center for cars to becoming a more open place for people to walk, bike and use public transport. The target group in the project is aged 20-60 who live in the urban residential areas and who do not own their
own car to the same extent as previous generations. They are physically active and like to go to the gym but also want to perform various leisure activities. Public transport does not allow people to bring their equipment on the bus.
The focus was on developing a vehicle, targeting year 2035, that could cover new solutions adapted to people’s needs to bring their equipment for various leisure activities to nature areas outside cities.
Canoo is a car company that has the potential to meet the needs. Canoo design, develop and build electric vehicles with focus on lifestyle, utility and sustainability. They have a subscription based business model that opens for sharing economy.
By following the rapid development that is taking place today, the author has not found a concept that meets this identified need. With this project, the author wants to complement private car ownership and propose a self-driving vehicle that is adapted to transport people and their equipment to recreation areas outside cities.
DESIGN BRIEF
FRAMING
The aim of the thesis is to develop a vehicle for the year 2035. A vehicle that will by new technology, reach remote areas outside cities and bring people closer to nature to be able to perform their leisure activities. The project will focus on the exterior side and explore and investigate how level 5 autonomous drive can be adapted for the future generation needs. Furthermore, to get a better understanding of the author’s vision, a future scenario will be visualised to get a holistic view of the project.
GOALS
WISHES
Sketching in VR by using gravity sketch, a tool to quickly generate and develop ideas in 3D space mainly to explore interior layouts and proportion in the creative phase.
HOW MIGHT FUTURE MOBILITY ADAPT TO FIT
PEOPLES NEED FOR RECREATION?
CREATIVE PROCESS
BUSINESS MODEL
As cities change and less people own their own car by 2035, the rental market will grow. The development of self-driving cars means that it will be easier and more economical for the customer to rent a car. The idea is to link this to Canoo, an existing car brand that will be able to offer a comprehensive commitment to the customer. Canoo that rent out cars will provide customers with an APP that gives access to the service where booking of the vehicle and equipment for leisure activity is made.
With this concept, there will be a greater incentive for Canoo to earn more from each vehicle as they have an agreement with the customer that allows the company to perform all the agreed services.
Subscription that gives access to:
- A self-driving car with room for four people.
- Be equipped with detachable brackets to be able to mount various equipment.
- Has lots of storage space to haul equipments and supplies.
- Offer the customer full disposal of the vehicle during the activities for convenience and security. It acts like a hub for your activities, not just as a vehicle for commuting.
- Be able to include partners to rent out equipment for leisure activities to the customer.
Getting out into nature to carry out various leisure activities will continue to grow as more and more people live in the central residential areas of the cities. In order to cover this need and since public transport cannot transport equipment and people to remote areas, the rental market in 2035 will meet this need.
USER GROUP/ CONTEXT
The project focuses on people in the age group 20-60 who live in cities. They are physically active people who appreciate getting out into nature and performing various leisure activities. They do not own a car to the same extent as previous generations and see that it becomes too expensive and unnecessary when there is access to good public transport, and where there is good access to everyday daily needs within cycling and walking distance. The problem they have is the lack of access to transport, which makes it possible to bring larger equipment to nature outside the city for various leisure activities, as public transport does not allow this.
PERSONA
35
Home Recreation area
Rikard, 55 y/o IT consultant
Julia, 26 y/o Medical student
USER SCENARIO
People who want to use this service download an app where they register a membership. Customer information is sent to Canoo to register the customer. In the app, the customer can place an order for the vehicle, where day, time of use, place of recreation area and where the customer wants to be picked up are filled in. The customer then receives a confirmation in the app when the order is complete. As Canoo collaborates with local retailers of sports & leisure, it is also possible for the customer to add equipment if needed.
Canoo has a station where they prepare and fix the vehicle to be ready to go out to the customer. Here, the vehicle is equipped with what the customer ordered.
The customer receives a message that the vehicle has left the station and is on its way.
An extra message is sent once the vehicle is in place. The customer then loads his equipment on the vehicle before leaving.
Once in place, the customer can unload their equipment and start their activities.
Before the next activity, the customer can change and hang clothes for drying if needed.
A message is sent to the customer’s digital unit that the rental time for the vehicle begins to come to an end if they has not returned.
When the customer is done for the day, the stuff is packed together and the equipment is reloaded for return home. A confirmation that the customer is ready to go must be accepted before leaving the area.
Back home, equipment is unloaded and the customer sends a confirmation to Canoo that they are ready for the day and the vehicle rolls back to the station.
When the car is back to the station, Canoo does a service to check if there is any problem with the vehicle. The vehicle is washed and cleaned after each new customer. Possible software updates and charging of the vehicle are also done at the station.
The author believe that the vehicle will be used by daytime workers during evenings, weekends, holidays and vacations. Night-time workers, working shift, are instead believed to use the vehicle during daytime, besides weekends, holidays and vacations. The author think that the customer base is sufficient enough to make the concept economically sustainable for a car company like Canoo.
INITIAL SKETCHES
2 SEATER 4 SEATER 6 SEATER
PROS Less material
consumption Stability
Safety
Bring equipment for everyone Stability Safety PROS PROS CONS Stability Safety Bring bigger equipment More material
consumption Bring equipment for everyone
Less space for dry-ing cloths More material
consumption
CONS CONS
The author started by doing analog sketches of different vehicles adapted for various number of passengers. Pros and cons where then listed. A vehicle carrying four passengers turn out to be the optimal option; a vehicle carrying two or six people limits the possibility of bringing equipment for all passengers.
DIRECTION 1
PROS CONS Storage space - interior and exterior Sitting sideway - Experience of moving faster Legspace Original Privacy Lenght Sitting sideway ride sick-ness? ScaleTESTING
After brainstorming and generating different ideas, three directions with different seating positions were tested. The packaging of each direction were taped on the floor in scale 1:1 to define the main proportions. The dimensions from the test were later used as boundary conditions for further development by blocking up volumes in 3D.
After the test had been conducted, the author compared pros and cons for each direction. Direction one turned out to be the best choice. The placement of the seats provided the best storage space, at the same time provide easy ingress and egress. In addition, it provides plenty of legroom.
PROS
Storage space - interior
Easy communi-cation
PROS CONS PROS CONS
DIRECTION 2
DIRECTION 3
Storage space - interior Easy communi-cation OriginalEasy entering the vehicle Sitting sideway - Experience of mov-ing faster Privacy Not original Less storage space - exterior Less leg space No privacy
Less storage space - exterior and interior
Sitting sideway Ride sickness? Leg space Proportion
MOODBOARD
PURE
INDUSTRIAL
GEOMETRIC
36
37
38 39
The design is intended to give a pure, industrial and geometric feeling.
A boxy design with clean surfaces offers good storage capacity and easy maintenance. Thereto, a robust design suits a utitility vehicle.
IDEATION
EXTERIOR DESIGN
Different ideas around where equipment and supplies should be stored and mounted were tested; inside or outside the body of the vehicle. A compromise turned out to be the best solution; smaller equipment are stored inside the body while bigger equipment such as canoes and mountain bikes are stored outside the body.
Different exterior designs were then tested. Number 6 was favored since it has a comprehensible contrast between front-end and back-end of the vehicle.
1 3 5 2 4 6
EXTERIOR DESIGN
Alt. 1
Alt. 2
At the beginning of the project, an idea was developed to be able to mount detachable seats on the side of the vehicle. This to give the customer an opportunity to take a break during the day.
However, this idea was put on the shelf when the author realized that it would form too much dirt in this area of the vehicle.
Inspiration for attachment of seats
DEVELOPMENT - SEATING
Some perspective views were generated to get a better understanding of the vehicle.
The initial ideas needed to be developed further since they had too many similarities with Canoo’s existing design.
EXTERIOR DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT
During the development of the design were ideas tested to bring more daylight into the interior. Black graphic was added to imitate glas which makes the exterior appear slimmer than it actually is, which resulted in an asymmetrical design.
INTERIOR DESIGN
The idea of the interior was to develop a clean and minimalistic design to make the interior easy to clean and maintain. The interior are combining anti-skid rubber used for the floors together with microfiber fabric covering the walls and recycled plastic for the chairs. Using a lot of glas was also a way to give the interior a more open feeling.
The figure shows a map of various equipment and supplies for different outdoor activities per season.
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
STORAGE - FRONT END
A storage space with ventilation was created for the possibility of drying clothes.
STORAGE - SIDE PANEL
A space dedicated to various equipment. It comes with detachable brackets and straps to enable mounting of the equipment.
3D MODEL
AUTODESK MAYA
In the design process, autodesk maya was used, a tool for developing a 3d model. When developing the model, this gave a better understanding of the vehicle’s proportions. A challenge during the process was to develop the vehicle’s functions and technical solutions. The final model was the basis for producing renderings for context images.
PACKAGE
The external dimensions of the vehicle were determined based on the number of passengers and equipment.
In order to define the ground clearance of the vehicle, dimensions of existing utility vehicles and SUVs were compared. As the ground clearance varied between 19-24 centimeters, the author chose 26 centimeters of ground clearance to cope with driving in lighter terrain.
260 mm
Motor
4273 mm
2130 mm
EXTERIOR
The result is Canoo Link; Link is an electric utility vehicle that you subscribe to. It can carry 4 passengers and has lots of storage space to haul equipments and supplies. With its robust design and high ground clearance it is ready to take on some tough terrain.
ENTRANCE
When the vehicle arrives at the customer’s address, information about the customer show up on the door glass. This is to give an identification to the customer that it is the right vehicle. The customer confirms with an access key code through an app that gives the customer access to the vehicle and can start loading their equipment.
Illustration of how the doors open is shown in the image to the left.
STORAGE SPACE - EQUIPMENT
On the left side of the vehicle there is space for storing various equipment. Here there are compartments with different detachable brackets that enable mounting for different equipment. This is provided by Canoo, which equips the vehicle with the right brackets before leaving for the customer.
ARRIVAL
Here is an illustration of how the customer can mount their own equipment. The mounting of the bicycles is done on the rear-end of the vehicle. The mounting is supported by a built-in electric lift to ease heavy lifting. In addition; the roof rack is equipped with gas assisted shocks in order to make the loading easier.
The vehicle communicates with pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles via a halo light. The illustration to the right show how the car give the pedestrian green light to cross the street.
STORAGE SPACE | FRONT
After a day in wet conditions you can dry your clothes, shoes and equipment in a ventilated space found in the front end of the vehicle.
CONCLUSIONS & REFLECTIONS
The project started with research about shared mobility from suburbs to city. A literature study and interviews with Region Västerbotten and Umeå kommun were conducted. The research was helpful and educative from different aspects. It provided an understanding of the technology for battery electric vehicles and how 6G can be implemented in cars to improve the technology of autonomous driving. The interviews with Region Västerbotten and Umeå kommun gave an understanding of their public transportations and their vision of sustainable mobility.
After the research was done, a concept was derived. The concept was though not unique enough, similar concepts already existed. The concept was therefore abandoned. To abandon a concept was both frustrating and stressful; the time and effort put into the research and concept seemed to be all in vain, and there seemed to be too little time to start all over again. The author began to search for a new direction, to find an area where there is a potential need of mobility. A new concept was derived;” How might future mobility adapt to fit peoples need for recreation?” The new direction changed towards people living in cities. The previous research that in a first glance, seemed to be all in vain actually turned out to be valuable, but it had to be complemented.
When the project entered the creative phase, initial designs of a vehicle were conducted for various numbers of passengers and equipment. The author compiled a list of pros and cons in order to make a decision of how many passengers the vehicle should carry. When the number of passengers had been
decided, three directions were derived with different seating positions and storage spaces. The directions were tested on a scale of 1:1 to give an idea of how much space that was needed for the interior. The full-scale tests provided a better understanding of proportions and how to distribute the seats and the cargo spaces. Pros and cons were then compared between the directions. The best direction was used as a base model for the final design.
Aesthetics is subjective since people have different perceptions of beauty. The design of the vehicle focused on storage capacity which resulted in an asymmetrical design. The asymmetrical design was challenging, since the author finds symmetrical design more appealing. The author also found it hard to predict what the general public thinks of asymmetrical design, since most of the vehicles of today are symmetrical. The asymmetrical design can be seen both in the exterior and the interior. What stands out in the exterior is the placement of the openings and the windows. Worth mentioning is that black graphics have been used to imitate glass which makes the exterior appear slimmer than it actually is. The asymmetrical characteristics of the interior is defined by the seating positions and the location of the storage space.
The project would have benefitted from a cooperation with mechanical engineers since the project encountered several technical issues. One of the issues considered the mounting of the mountain bikes. Climate change and urbanization drives the design transformation of the transport industry, due to the fact that the industry needs to become more sustainable.
It is not just the design itself that needs to change, but also the model of use. Shared economy leads to less cars per capita which reduces peoples environmental footprint. Canoo link is a design proposal that use a subscription-based business model, that connect people from the city out to the nature. It offers the customer a flexible and customized service adapted to transport them and their equipment to the nature for various leisure activities.
The proposed business model will hopefully inspire car companies. The business model is a complement to the traditional public transportations. The public transportations run according to a certain timetable and an established route. They also come with restrictions of what you can bring on board. The proposed business model is more flexible and it offers a higher service. By offering the citizens a wide range of mobility options, covering more needs than just commuting, the need of owning a car will decrease. Due to Covid-19, the Master Thesis was conducted from home. This was challenging in many ways. Communication via link was hard and the isolation mentally stressful. The lack of physical interaction with people and the ability to change workplace was wearing. Overall, the project has been very stressful, which affected both creativity and productivity.
Time management was one of the most challenging parts about the project. The author needs to find new technics in order to be more efficient. This lesson will be valuable in the authors professional life as a designer, a life with even higher pace and shorter deadlines.
REFERENCES
BACKGROUND
Svanström, S. (2015, March 3). Statistikskolan: Urbanisering – från land till stad. Statistiska Centralbyrån. https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/ artiklar/2015/Urbanisering--fran-land-till-stad/
Boverket. (2019, May 3). Urbanisering. https://www.boverket.se/sv/samhallsplanering/bostadsmarknad/bostadsforsorjning/flyttningar/ urbanisering/
Fastighetsägarna, Hyresgästföreningen, Naturskyddsföreningen, Spacescape, Evidens, & Theory into practice. (2020, October). Framtiden för parkering och nya bostäder. Naturskyddsföreningen. https://www.naturskyddsforeningen.se/sites/default/files/dokument-media/framtiden-for-parkering-och-nya-bostader-rapport-naturskyddsforeningen_1.pdf
CITIES
På väg mot en normfri parkering. (2015, February 20). Fastighetstidningen. https://fastighetstidningen.se/pa-vag-mot-en-normfri-parkering/ Färdigställa ringleden. (2020, October 2). Umeå Kommun. https://www.umea.se/byggaboochmiljo/boendemiljobullerochluftkvalitet/ luftenutomhus/atgardsprogramforrenareluft/fardigstallaringleden.4.250f9659174ae4b97941cdd.html
Fastighetsägarna, Hyresgästföreningen, Naturskyddsföreningen, Spacescape, Evidens, & Theory into practice. (2020, October). Framtiden för parkering och nya bostäder. Naturskyddsföreningen. https://www.naturskyddsforeningen.se/sites/default/files/dokument-media/framtiden-for-parkering-och-nya-bostader-rapport-naturskyddsforeningen_1.pdf
GENERATION Z
CGI. 4 kännetecken för den kritiska konsumentgruppen Gen Z. https://www.cgi.com/sverige/sv/gen-z-kritiska-konsumentgruppen Opsahl, Stein. Du har mindre än tio sekunder att nå absurda generationen Z. https://www.knowit.se/perspektiv/gen-z/
Great big story. (2019, April 15). Greta Thunberg Is Leading a Global Climate Movement [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uRgJ-22S_Rs
Davies, P. (2021, April 14). 29 of Greta Thunberg’s Best Quotes - Curious Earth | Climate Change. Curious Earth | Environment & Climate Change. https://curious.earth/blog/greta-thunberg-quotes-best-21/
6G NETWORK
Ericsson. Self-driving vehicles are predicted to make roads much safer for us all. https://www.ericsson.com/en/internet-of-things/trending/ self-driving-vehicles
Brisbourne, Alex. Tesla´s over-the-air fix: Best example yet of the internet of things? https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/02/ teslas-air-fix-best-example-yet-internet-things/
Öhrn, Stellan. (2020, August). How connected cars will support a more sustainable future. https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2020/8/ connected-cars-and-sustainability
Jennerholm Hammar, Filip .(2019, November). SpaceX skickar upp stora mängder Starlink-satelliter ”som ingen bett om”. https://www. popularastronomi.se/2019/11/spacex-skickar-upp-stora-mangder-starlink-satelliter-som-ingen-bett-om/
Wilhelmsson, Wille. (2020, October). Nu har Starlink dragit igång sin beta, SpaceX rymdinternet kommer att kosta 99 dollar i månaden. https:// feber.se/internet/nu-har-starlink-dragit-igang-sin-beta/417476/
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
Synopsys. What is an Autonomous Car?. https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/what-is-autonomous-car.html
Geospatial World. (2018, May 17). What are the different levels of Autonomous Vehicle? [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6592pKyQfyE
Teknik för självkörande bilar - Cybercom. (n.d.). Cybercom Group. Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://www.cybercom.com/sv/Kundcase/ Teknik-for-sjalvkorande-bilar/
Waldrop, M. M. W. (2015, February 4). Autonomous vehicles: No drivers required. Nature News & Comment. https://www.nature.com/news/ autonomous-vehicles-no-drivers-required-1.16832
BEV – BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Grön bil. (2019, November 14). Elbilar - Allt du behöver veta om elbilen. Grönbil.se - Miljöbilar till salu. https://www.gronbil.se/ elbilar-allt-om-elbilen/
https://alltomelbil.se/stockholms-handelskammare-sverige-behover-fler-laddstolpar-26-miljoner-laddbara-bilar-pa-vara-vagar-2030/ McIntosh, J. (2020, May 29). How It Works: Electric Vehicle Skateboard Chassis. Driving. https://driving.ca/chevrolet/column/how-it-works/ how-it-works-electric-vehicle-skateboard-chassis
CANOO
Shieber, J. (2019, September 25). Canoo takes the covers off of its debut electric vehicle. TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/24/ canoo-takes-the-covers-off-of-its-debut-electric-vehicle/?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLnNlLw&guce_referrer_
sig=AQAAAJug2mjmoC_LHkuLmTcw46g4705KSkn-Vc6U_-nfsOYXJcxWs2nIBVWuQlIYWEgTexBLbZ6LpVmRw6pouYEMHV84WUlZYlZoGsrwsH LlZx5DfpYWb6moHK5qRnwbW7IXgATAjat5FYGBwY8i8zBYe_PT43A-mHT0NSnkSd-fpr7M&guccounter=2
Fully charged show. (2019, November 19). Canoo - a subscription only electric car | Fully Charged [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=b7tXveBvnt4
Ip, T. (2021, January 22). Canoo Company Overview. Press | Canoo. https://www.press.canoo.com/press-release/canoo-company-overview Coze, N. (2020, July 8). Stefan Krause. Compass Magazine. https://compassmag.3ds.com/stefan-krause/
Ho Ip, T. (2021, May 17). Promises Kept – Canoo Pricing For Lifestyle Vehicle Is Accessible For Everyone. Press | Canoo. https://www.press. canoo.com/press-release/promises-kept
INTERVIEW
Anonymous (2021, January 12). Personal interview [Personal interview] Sandström, E (2021, January 29). Personal interview [Personal interview]
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TIME PLAN
Sketch pad Printing 3D parts 3D mannequin
