From the NGC Urban Modular Vehicle Basic to the autonomous driving Cargomover: the modular body for the future urban electric vehicle

Abstract

With the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Next Generation Car (NGC) Metaproject, the concepts and technologies, tools and methods for selected vehicles are developed in a networked research infrastructure. In the various disciplines of vehicle concepts, vehicle structure, drive train, energy and thermal management, vehicle intelligence and mechatronic chassis, the three vehicle concepts of the NGC are presented virtually and partially as demonstrators in various technological areas. The Urban Modular Vehicle (UMV) addresses an urban intelligent electric vehicle with a modular body in white. The Interurban Vehicle (IUV) is distinguished by its long range, comfortable interior and a CFRP body, and the Safe Light Regional Vehicle (SLRV) is a lightweight fuel cell vehicle with an aluminium sandwich vehicle body of the L7e class. Flexibility in production will be especially required in the future if the production volume of highly automated electric vehicles during market launch continues to be low. The submitted contribution therefore presents the strategy of the modular platform concept for the vehicle body variants of the UMV. The UMV specifically illustrates the ability to move from conventional self-driven road vehicles to completely autonomous vehicles. The NGC UMV offers this flexibility via an intelligent, modular platform concept in the vehicle body structure, in the power train and in the different levels of automation. The analysed and presented variants of the UMV are: - UMV Basic, 2 + 2 seats, length 3.6 m - UMV Long, 2 + 2 seats, length 4 m with a larger boot - UMV 2 + Cargo, a small delivery vehicle - the fully autonomous UMV Peoplemover with 2 + 2 seats - UMV Cargomover, a fully automated delivery vehicle.