Nimble electric minivan goes big on cargo hauling

As clean air zones are imposed in more cities, zero-emission alternatives to combustion-engine delivery vans are needed in order to keep the packages flowing from retailer to customer. A new startup is working on a compact-but-capable electric hauler that's claimed to have a "cubic load capacity rivaling mid-size vans."

Elm Mobility is a new last-mile delivery initiative launched by Prodrive Advanced Technology and Astheimer Design to bring an electric minivan – currently dubbed Evolv – to market. The collaboration has already designed and built a working demonstrator in just 12 months, and is now eyeing 2028 for the start of production.

The delivery vehicle measures 3,240 mm long, 1,450 mm wide and 2,150 mm in height (10.6 x 4.75 x 7 ft), with a tight turning circle of 7.8 m (25.5 ft) "for quick maneuvering in congested streets." It has an empty weight – including batteries – of 850 kg (1,874 lb), and some 60% of the vehicle's volume is made available for cargo, which is spread over two load areas atop the skateboard-like chassis for a total of 4 m3 (141.25 ft3).

The main cargo space is able to accommodate a 1.6-m-tall (5.25-ft) Euro pallet at up to 300 kg (660 lb), with the secondary space able to stack packages to a height of 1.2 m (4 ft) and weighing a total of 200 kg (440 lb). An optional pallet truck can be stowed onboard to help operators "single-handedly and efficiently deliver the goods to the door."

The Evolv vehicle is destined to roll within the L7e category in Europe (roughly the equivalent of a NEV in the US). But the collaboration has gone a step further in terms of safety requirements, engineering the vehicle to "meet N1 (small van) passive safety crash standards – spanning front, side, and roof crash performance, pedestrian impact and driver safety requirements." The driver only requires only a standard car license, and has a central position within the cabin – with a wraparound windshield offering optimum visibility.

The company also boasts that the Evolv will be the "most efficient vehicle in its class, both in terms of cost and energy consumption per unit volume of goods per mile." At the moment, engineers have settled on a 20-kWh battery pack for a per-charge range of up to 160 km (100 miles) – though other configurations could be selected for production models.

The inclusion of a Type-2 connector is reckoned good for charging from 20% to 80% capacity in under two hours. And since this delivery solution is not being designed for highway travel, the top speed will be 80 km/h (50 mph). Rounding out the key specs are modular body panels for swift replacement if damaged, and "fared-in" headlights for improved durability.

One of 10 projects to receive UK government funding as part of the Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator competition, the project has been unveiled today at the Cenex Expo 2024 in Bedfordshire. Elm Mobility is aiming to go into production from 2028, with pricing per vehicle estimated to be in the region of £25,000 (about US$33k, though international availability has not been mentioned at this stage).

"Evolv demonstrates how our collective innovative design and engineering can push the boundaries of what a last mile EV can achieve," says Dr Iain Roche, CEO of Prodrive Advanced Technology. "With Evolv, a compact footprint can go hand-in-hand with serious capability and efficiency. Evolv offers the best of both worlds, injecting versatility without compromise into a logistics fleet."

"Everything about the design of EVOLV is fit-for-purpose," added Carsten Astheimer, founder and creative director of Astheimer Design. "It's lightweight, robust and simple, which fits harmoniously with the Astheimer Design philosophy of removing everything superfluous. The result is iconic in its simplicity, with the platform adaptable to the individual needs of each customer."

Source: Elm Mobility