Polestar is part of a group of leaders in design, mobility and sustainable materials that have collaborated to rethink last-mile delivery and how goods are transported in cities.
The project, named Re:Move, which ElectricDrives revealed back in March, is a fast-tracked reaction to surging online shopping and home delivery demands and the clear requirement to find more sustainable mobility solutions.
Rather than the design study being the end of the project, it became the beginning. It was inspired by the shared convictions of a wider set of designers, mobility and sustainable material experts, hailing from Polestar, CAKE and Hydro. The first working prototype has now been revealed at IAA in Munich.
Konstantin Grcic, Re:Move designer, said: “Good design is inherently sustainable design. Everyone involved in this distinctive project shares the belief that purity can be a driver for sustainability.
“Over the last year, we have worked together, engineers and designers, to create a versatile solution that has never lost sight of its purpose. Ultimately, its design is all the better for it.”
The multi-functional electric transporter is 75cm wide, which is perfectly suited to bicycle lanes, and is capable of carrying loads of up to 180kg. The low-carbon aluminium chassis has an electric tilt mechanism, allowing the vehicle to ‘lean-in’ to turns, improving stability and manoeuvrability, and reducing its turning circle to less than seven metres.
It has disc brakes to instil further dynamic confidence in the electric vehicle (EV), while a damped rear swingarm is designed for driver comfort and to reduce fatigue.
Always-on lighting improves forward visibility for the driver, while brake lights, optional indicators and a horn help to ensure the vehicle is visible to pedestrians and traffic.
Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, said: “The passion and expertise our partners have brought to this project shows the power of great design.
“Electrifying vehicles is the start point, not the end game. Our engineers have proven that this kind of open collaboration will accelerate innovation and the shift to truly sustainable mobility.”
It features a 2.2kWh battery that offers a limited maximum speed of 25kph that is in line with ebikes. The frame uses unique composite covers, a natural replacement for plastics and flax-based composites.
This makes the Re:Move ideal for replacing last-mile delivery vans helping to improve city traffic flow or bringing cargo transportation to rural areas lacking developed infrastructure.
We think this is an excellent answer to sustainable movement in, often overcrowded, urban environments. It’s particularly poignant in terms of ease of movement and space and allows companies to deliver without incurring any zero emission zone charges.
Stefan Ytterborn, CAKE CEO, said: “With the obligation to inspire towards zero emissions, Re:Move defines a new vehicle category. We’re delighted to contribute with our high-capacity battery, hub motor and smart technology.”
Bjørn Kjetil Mauritzen, Hydro Head of Sustainability, said: “To stay within the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement target, we need fewer fossil-fuel vehicles on the streets, but we should also be striving to reduce emissions and harmful particulates in the air.
“Re:Move is not only a low maintenance vehicle with an electric powertrain, but it’s also fully recyclable and uses low carbon aluminium that is made with renewable energy.”
