The Power of Design: Product Innovation in Sustainable Energy Technologies

F.5 Light Urban Mobility

A bicycle or pedelec (pedal electrical bicycle) is a good example of light urban mobility. The word light illustrates the relatively small footprint of a vehicle while it is moving and its relative low energy consumption. Three products are illustrated here to show how urban mobility can be further developed. The focus of these products is to be part of niche or customized situations and to extend or link the use of public transport.

F.5.1 Urban Mobility Concept

Commuter mobility, like all mobility, is on the rise. However, the greatest increase is among car users, and this contributes to a number of problems such as reliance on nonrenewable fuels, emissions, congestion, and safety. Stimulating modal shifts, encouraging people to use less harmful modes of transport, and making use of state-of the-art technologies are strategies employed in this case to contribute to improved mobility patterns.

The main disadvantage of public or shared transport, from the user's point of view, is the lack of flexibility due to the fixed start and end points of the journey. The urban mobility concept (UMC), the advanced portable transport solution designed within this project, intends to provide an efficient connection between the user and public or shared transport, thereby making it a more attractive mode of transportation for commuters. The UMC could also be used in combination with a car, by parking the car outside the city and using the UMC to access the city center ...