Electrification of Urban Three-Wheeler Taxis in Tanzania: Combining the User’s Perspective and Technical Feasibility Challenges

This study assesses the feasibility of electric three-wheelers as moto-taxis in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from a socioeconomic and technical point of view. The analysis is based on three pillars: (i) the acceptance of users (the moto-taxi drivers) for adoption, (ii) the vehicle specifications incl. battery type and size, and (iii) the role of the charging infrastructure. Findings are based on data from empirical field-work; methods used are qualitative and quantitative data analysis and modelling. Main findings include that moto-taxi drivers, who we see as most important adopters, are open towards electric mobility. They request however that vehicles should have similar driving characteristics than their current fuel-vehicles. As the market is very price sensitive, keeping the vehicle cost is of high importance. A high potential to lower these costs is seen by offering opportunity charging spots around the city. If such an infrastructure is being implemented the combination with suitable, cost competitive vehicles makes the transformation of the vehicle market towards electrification possible.

KYBURZ Small Electric Vehicles: A Case Study in Successful Deployment

This paper is written from the perspective of a Swiss OEM which has been active in the small electric vehicle (SEV) market since 1991 and has put over 22,000 SEVs on the road around the world. KYBURZ Switzerland AG identified several important niche markets for SEVs and today sells vehicles to improve the mobility of senior citizens (e.g. KYBURZ Plus), to increase the efficiency of postal and logistics companies (e.g., KYBURZ DXP), and to imbue drivers with passion for electric vehicles (e.g., KYBURZ eRod). Most KYBURZ vehicles are currently homologated in the category L2e, L6e, or L7e. The company has also developed a Fleet Management product which gives its customers detailed insights into the performance of their electric as well as conventionally powered vehicles. Anonymized datasets from this Fleet Management system will be drawn upon in this paper to examine questions regarding their application, i.e., environmental and economic aspects. The unique feature which the authors from KYBURZ bring with this paper is that all their investigations are performed with real data gained from the field experience. The primary focus of this paper is on last-mile mobility services for postal organizations which help to increase efficiency and meet sustainability goals.

The UK Approach to Greater Market Acceptance of Powered Light Vehicles (PLVs)

This paper summarises the UK activity for powered light vehicles (PLVs) with the purpose of driving market acceptance. If alternative vehicle concepts are to emerge from the margins and transition into the main stream, there is a need to think differently. This opportunity has motivated a number of UK organisations to come together as a working group and identify a way forward. We contend that thinking differently requires a reshaping of the whole value chain. Each of the partners has contributed to this activity and we describe the development of a pathway towards the realisation of a UK PLV market. Research and policy development requirements for the UK market are defined, supported by a discussion on two specific segments of the PLV market—light freight vehicles and micromobility.

BICAR—Urban Light Electric Vehicle

This paper describes the technical features of the light electric vehicle (L2e-category) named BICAR. This specially designed vehicle is an all-in-one emissions-free micro-mobility solution providing a cost-effective and sustainable mobility system while supporting the transition towards a low carbon society (smart and sustainable city concept). The BICAR represents part of a multimodal system, complementing public transport with comfort and safety, relieving inner-city congestion and solving the “first and last mile” issue. The BICAR is the lightest and smallest three-wheel vehicle with weather protection. Due to the space-saving design, six to nine BICARS will fit into a single standard parking space. Safety is increased by an elevated driving position and a tilting mechanism when cornering. The BICAR achieves a range of 40–60 km depending on the battery package configuration in urban transport at a speed of 45 km/h. It features a luggage storage place and exchangeable, rechargeable batteries. The BICAR can be driven without a helmet thanks to the safety belt system, which is engineered for street approved tests. The BICAR has an integrated telematic box connected to the vehicle electronics and communicating with the dedicated mobile application, through which the BICAR can be geo-localised, reserved, locked/unlocked and remotely maintained.

Velomobiles and Urban Mobility: Opportunities and Challenges

As the transport challenges facing urban areas intensify, innovative solutions are required to address the social, economic and environmental impacts arising from overreliance on private motor vehicles. Velomobiles offer a range of advantages but do not feature on the radar screen of urban transport policy makers. This chapter explores the challenges and opportunities of increased adoption of velomobiles as an urban mobility option. A scan of existing velomobiles is used to define typical characteristics of these vehicles and place them into perspective against relevant travel options before they are assessed in the context of typical vehicle regulations and facility design guidelines. The opportunities and challenges associated with greater adoption of velomobiles in the context of urban travel are examined through the lenses of technology adoption and the sociotechnical framing of independent travel options. Shared mobility is identified as one potential way of broadening the base for velomobile adoption in urban areas.

Conception and Development of a Last Mile Vehicle for Urban Areas

In megacities, increasing globalization effects are leading to rapidly increasing prosperity and augmented purchasing power, and thus to a growing need for punctual, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly delivery of goods. A smart, small electric vehicle concept is presented that targets on meeting the requirements for the delivery of goods in urban areas and that is designed especially for the delivery on the last mile. This last mile vehicle (LMV) for cargo transportation is attached to a truck. Whenever it is needed, for example to deliver goods into narrow streets, in pedestrian areas or in case of traffic jams, it can be unfolded and unloaded from the truck and hereby guarantees a flexible and punctual delivery of goods. This flexible on-time delivery is possible because the last mile vehicle is designed, so that the legal regulations of the non-motorized vehicle lane, that is everywhere to be found in Asia, are met. The vehicle is designed with three wheels, a range of 40-60 km and an electric drive train with a continuous power of 2 × 250 W that enables a maximum speed up to 40 km/h of the vehicle. The drive train consists of a battery pack that can be charged electrically from the truck, two inverters, and two electric wheel hub motors. The LMV has been designed and constructed as a prototype and has been tested on non-public roads to prove the vehicle concept. For Europe, it can be classified as an L2e vehicle and with slight modifications; it can be applied on European roads as well.

Courses of Action for Improving the Safety of the Powered Cycle

This paper explores the possibility to include a number of safety features from passenger cars in powered cycles with three or four wheels, whilst complying with the legal definitions and requirements, and also the legal conditions to use the bicycle lanes. The differences between technical specifications contained within EU law for pedal cycle with pedal assistance, powered cycles, quadricycles and passenger cars will be explained. Further, examples of traffic code rules with respect to the use of bicycle lanes in different countries will be discussed. Finally, the need for new safety criteria for powered cycles, replacing the existing power limit, is highlighted. In addition to the above, the need for a different technical approach to deal with the stability of 1 m wide e-bikes with a vehicle height similar to a mainstream passenger car will be discussed.

An Energy Efficiency Comparison of Electric Vehicles for Rural–Urban Logistics

In many small and medium-sized businesses in rural–urban areas, delivery services to and from customers, suppliers, and distributed locations are required regularly. In contrast to purely urban commercial centres, the distances here are larger. The aim of this paper is to identify opportunities for substituting combustion-engine logistics with lightweight electric commercial vehicles and the limitations thereto, describing an energy efficiency comparison and improvement process for a defined logistics application. Thus, the area of Heilbronn-Franconia and its transport conditions are presented as examples to compare the use case to standard driving cycles. Then the logistic requirements of Heilbronn UAS (University of Applied Science) locations and the available vehicles as well as further electric vehicle options are depicted. Options are discussed for the additional external payload in search of transport volume optimisation without increasing the vehicle floor space. To this end, simulation models are developed for the aerodynamic examination of the enlarged vehicle body and for determining energy consumption. Consumption and range calculation lead to vehicle concept recommendations. These research activities can contribute to the transformation of commercial electro mobility in rural and urban areas in many parts of Germany and Europe.

The ELVITEN Project as Promoter of LEVs in Urban Mobility: Focus on the Italian Case of Genoa

One of the growing innovations in the electric vehicle market concerns light electric vehicles (LEVs), promoted at local and national level by many initiatives, such as the European project ELVITEN, involving six cities, which is analysed in the present paper in relation to the Genoa pilot case study. In Italy, LEVs have been increasingly successful, as the number of their registrations shows (+76% in 2019 compared to 2018). In this context, the city of Genoa, where a considerable fleet of mopeds and motorcycles (214,499 in its metropolitan area in 2018) circulates, lends itself well to the experimentation of two-wheeled LEVs. The monitoring of the use of LEVs within the framework of the ELVITEN project has shown that the average daily round trips recorded in the metropolitan area of Genoa are equal to 15–20 km, thus reinforcing the idea that LEVs represent a valid alternative to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) private vehicles. Moreover, the characteristics of the travel monitored and the users’ feedback highlight that the question of range anxiety is less present than expected. Finally, and contrary to our expectations, the data analysis indicates that the use of LEVs in Genoa during two months of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown—March and April 2020—shows a decrease of 21%, while the average decrease recorded by the six cities globally considered is 51%.

Fields of Applications and Transport-Related Potentials of Small Electric Vehicles in Germany

The possible applications of small electric vehicles, i.e., electric cargo bikes and three- and four-wheeled L-class vehicles in transport, are discussed, and potential business models are presented. Moreover, transport-related potentials are analyzed. Therefore, we have utilized a multi-method approach: we conducted qualitative interviews with experts and professionals in the field of light and small electric vehicles and carried out quantitative analyses with the national household travel survey mobility in Germany 2017. Our results show that, theoretically, small electric vehicles could be used for 20–50% of private trips (depending on the model). On these trips, however, they would not only replace car trips, but also trips on public transport or by bicycle and on foot. In commercial transport, these vehicles are particularly suitable for service trips and some last-mile deliveries. If small electric vehicles were to replace a significant share of the transport volumes of motorized passenger and commercial transport, they could contribute to climate protection.