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Micromobility meets maximum project support

One thing is clear to us at csi entwicklungstechnik, as people who deal with the issue of future mobility on a daily basis: essentially, everything supports switching to bikes – at least in towns and cities! Traffic jams are easier to dodge, it doesn’t take for ever to find the only free parking space, you have a truly clean conscience in terms of your carbon footprint, and are improving your fitness at the same time as the global climate. But then the rain comes on. Or you need to transport two toddlers and a a load of luggage. Then things look very different. It’s the same with us. Your weaker self emerges and you find yourself inevitably giving in to it. It’s such a shame.

Many of our clients feel the same way. But because most of us don't want to have an excuse to switch back to his car in bad weather, we start looking for an intelligent, modern solution.

For example, a bike that cope with all weathers with plenty of room for all kinds of stuff or even the weekly shop. And what did we find? Nothing. At least nothing that impressed us.

So what is the solution?

Without further ado, we decided to fill the existing gap in urban transport by starting our own Future Mobility project. But who would help us turn the idea into reality and get the vehicle on the road?

That's where we come in.

 

Your idea is in good hands with us.
Because our project support is hands-on.

We support projects from the initial spark to the final product, working at eye level with our customers. Our services include the overall development of the entire vehicle from the concept phase to series development, including CE certification, procurement and construction of all prototypes, monitoring of tests, cost engineering and simulation of the relevant requirements for cargo bikes.

Together with our experts, we develop individual solutions and support our customers in bringing their visions to the road.

And if that was too theoretical:

 

An example of realisation.
Uncompromising evolution.

The idea was born and brought to us. The result is a successful 4-wheeled compromise between an e-bike, or more precisely a pedelec, and a car: you can ride it without a driver's license and without a helmet. It doesn’t have a chain that is prone to wear. You can even ride it where cars are banned, on cycle paths, in pedestrian zones, residential estates or parks. And as is usual with a pedelec, you have to pedal to move. The energy or current produced by a generator when the pedals are turned flows into the battery, which can also provide additional thrust to the rear axle when it is needed. However, this electric ‘boost’ will only reach a top speed of 25 km/h. And to ensure that you can continue to enjoy cycling even in bad weather, the rider, including their passengers or goods, is protected by a weatherproof cover. With its small, manoeuvrable scooter design, this cool speedster is just what you need for contemporary “urban mobility” or “micromobility”: small, clean, easy to use, and affordable.

 

All this makes the small city runabout interesting not only for private users, but also for last-mile logistics companies such as the post office or delivery services, for whom another model has been developed with a large transport box with a volume of 1000 litres. This can be used to transport large quantities of parcels, pizzas or materials for tradesmen directly to the front door.

 

From A to B, and a whole lot in between

When we join the team as part of a vision, the first generation of a prototype may already exist and may have a lot of rough edges, not just visually. As with most prototypes, many revisions and adjustments are required to turn a prototype into a commercial and production-ready vehicle.

The result – as is customary in development processes – is the so-called A model. It is used to validate the concept and only included the basic functions: essentially the shell without any “frills”. This is followed by the B model, which, after a few adjustments and optimisations, is already very close to the final product, both technically and visually. It will be used for endurance tests and for presentations. But that's not all. We said we would take you through the entire development process. This means that as well as developing the A and B samples, we also took care of procuring the parts for the prototypes, starting the CE certification process, technically optimising the A-class finishes, and constructing the models in our workshop in Weissach.

 

Making small big:
one of our specialist disciplines.

We will need a new kind of mobility if we really want to make our cities, and therefore our world, a more attractive place in which to live. And we need to do so fast. That’s why, here at csi, we have been committed to this very issue for many years. And the little speedster is an ideal fit for this. It’s a perfect example of how (urban) transport will develop. And not just in Germany – worldwide too. We are employing our expertise from the automotive industry, and expanding it, to advance exciting mobility projects like this. It enables us to offer innovative, customer- and product-led solutions that bring about far-reaching changes in the mobility sector. We are doing this for the major car manufacturers, with whom we we have been working for decades, as well as for small, dynamic start-ups.

We are your partner in the realisation of your mobility concept.

After all, any idea that helps to avoid emissions has to be good. That's why we're passionately enthusiastic about people and companies, who want to bring about lasting change, and are prepared to tread uncharted territory. Or rather want to ride in all weathers or carry children with them.

 

As you may have noticed, we have reported a lot without naming the vehicle specifically. We could, but we're not allowed to - and we're sticking to our word. So now you can "paint" your own picture of the ideal vehicle for urban mobility. So why don't you get in touch with us and maybe your idea will soon become an A-model, then a B-model and then... you know.

Mathias Leixner

Mathias Leixner

Managing Director csi Group