Fraunhofer award for smart scooter

“ElectromobileCityScooter” sustainable urban distribution solution receives German High Tech Champions Award

On April 3, 2014 in Paris, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will honor Fraunhofer IAO’s Daniel Borrmann as German High Tech Champion in the Urban Distribution category for his pioneering technological development, the “ElectromobileCityScooter.” This nimble, electrically driven three-wheel microcar won over the jury as a sustainable solution for the urban distribution sector and will also be making an appearance at the Hannover Messe.

As part of SITL Europe – International Week of Transport and Logistics, the award, which comes with 10,000 euros in prize money, will be presented at a gala event at the German embassy in Paris. This will be followed by the GHTC® Networking event which, like SITL Europe itself, will give the prize-winning technology developers and inventors the chance to talk with potential business partners and to initiate R&D collaborations in other countries.

The previous version of the ElectromobileCityScooter was the focus of international attention even at last year’s Hannover Messe, while the latest version will be on show at MobiliTec at this year’s Hannover Messe from April 7-11. Partner company GreenIng will be showcasing the smart scooter at the Baden-Württemberg International exhibition stand (Hall 27, Booth H 85).

Project managers Daniel Borrmann and Sebastian Stegmüller recall how their “baby” was born: “The idea for the three-wheel electric scooter started life as a simple sketch and virtual model that we then built in miniature out of Lego. This little, fully functional Lego miracle gave us the idea to make a life-size demonstrator version of the scooter.”

With one wheel at the front and two behind, an electric motor and the dimensions of the average motor scooter, this three-wheeler takes up very little space in traffic and when parked. And despite its compact size, the ElectromobileCityScooter offers a comfortable ride, making it ideal for urban delivery services as well. Featuring a suitable securing system for goods in transit, not only can it drastically reduce delivery times by speeding through traffic, it can also get into places inaccessible to conventional delivery vehicles. What’s more, its very small turning circle means no hold ups in the delivery schedule. A safety cell enables the driver to get on and off quickly when making deliveries. Because local emissions are zero, the ElectromobileCityScooter can be driven in green zones and even into buildings such as warehouses.

But Borrmann and Stegmüller are not content to stop with their prize-winning prototype. Further additions, such as systems for better weather protection or securing loads, are in the pipeline for this exceptional scooter. So we can all look forward to seeing what shape the smart scooter will take in the city of the future.

More Information
http://www.iao.fraunhofer.de/lang-en/business-areas/mobility-and-urban-systems-engineering/1091-fraunhofer-award-for-smart-scooter.html

Fraunhofer IAO

The basis for all work undertaken at the Fraunhofer IAO is a deep conviction that business success in a globalised arena is contingent on an ability to profitably leverage new high-tech potentials. In order to optimally exploit these opportunities, companies must be capable of developing and implementing customer and employee-oriented technologies faster than their competitors. Work organisation concepts must be simultaneously innovative and anthropocentric. A systematic design, in other words, is the outcome of pooled management and technical expertise. This holistic perspective when it comes to project processing ensures that equal consideration is given to commercial success, employees' interests and social consequences.

Through its close cooperation with the Institute for Human Factors and Technology Management (IAT) of the University of Stuttgart, Fraunhofer IAO unites basic university research with applied science and business practice.

Contact
Daniel Borrmann
Mobility Innovation Lab
Fraunhofer IAO
Nobelstraße 12
70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Phone +49 711 970-2030
Email daniel.borrmann@iao.fraunhofer.de

This release was published on openPR.