A technology demonstrator for a new type of electric delivery vehicle – which could make the courier industry greener and more efficient – has been developed by WMG at the University of Warwick and Warwickshire-based design company Astheimer Ltd.

Based on the platform of a Renault Twizy, the DELIVER-E is a quiet, compact, lightweight electric vehicle, ideal for navigating urban environments, addressing issues like congestion, noise, pollution - and responding to the demands of an ever-growing shift to online shopping. This prototype allows cutting-edge WMG research outputs to be shown in a real, driveable vehicle.

A number of teams in WMG have worked on the project, including their SME Group who developed the original design, and with the help of one of their partners Astheimer, progressed the design from concept to prototype.

Astheimer developed the WMG concept to create a unique vehicle exterior - by enlarging its rear storage area, giving it space for three online delivery baskets. They also added new body panels to the DELIVER-E, and fitted it with programmable LED pixel strips, which can change colour for brake and indicator lights.

Carsten Astheimer, founder and creative director, Astheimer Ltd comments: “The DELIVER-E is the result of an intensive ten week collaborative project between Astheimer and WMG to design and build an electric delivery vehicle prototype. This unique collaboration showcases the design and prototyping capabilities of Astheimer.

“We are working on several projects at the forefront of electric transportation and autonomous technology, anticipating the future of mobility which will be dominated by electric vehicles as emission controls tighten and on-line acquisitions increase."

WMG have designed a powerful, state-of-the-art battery system for the DELIVER-E, which makes the vehicle lightweight - allowing it to deliver goods quickly - whilst not polluting the atmosphere, and reducing fuel consumption on the roads.

Advanced battery experts, at WMG, fitted the vehicle with a powerful 48V 6.5kWh battery system - increasing its peak power from 12 kilowatt to 36 kilowatt – helping it to cope with an increased weight of goods, and to conserve energy despite the start-stop nature of deliveries.

This battery system is the first module produced by WMG’s new automated battery production line for electric vehicles, developed as part of the Automated Module-to-Pack Pilot Line for Industrial Innovation (AMPLiFII) project – launched by WMG to create a UK supply chain for fully qualified battery packs to suit hybrid and electric vehicles across a broad range of markets.

The DELIVER-E also has an open-platform vehicle control system – enabling the development of bespoke control systems – and a touchscreen Human-Machine Interface.

Professor Dave Greenwood, WMG, said “It’s great to be able to showcase some of the technologies which we’re working on in a real driveable vehicle – this really helps us bring home the benefits of the technologies we develop at WMG, and helps industry see how they may adopt them”

DELIVER-E will be showcased as a demonstrator, at a number of events through the year. WMG and collaborative partners will also use it when undertaking research around electric vehicles.

Notes to Editors:

WMG, University of Warwick

WMG was established by Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 in order to reinvigorate UK manufacturing through the application of cutting edge research and effective knowledge transfer. WMG is a world leading research and education group and an academic department of the University of Warwick.

WMG has pioneered an international model for working with industry, commerce and public sectors and holds a unique position between academia and industry. The Group’s strength is to provide companies with the opportunity to gain a competitive edge by understanding a company’s strategy and working in partnership with them to create, through multidisciplinary research, ground-breaking products, processes and services.

The WMG SME Group is a dynamic team pioneering university support for innovation in small and medium sized businesses. The Group accelerates productivity and growth in SMEs by applying research-led tools and techniques – and by building sustainable collaborative relationships.

Every year WMG provides education and training to over 2,000 postgraduates, in the UK and through centres in China, India, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia, as well as a growing undergraduate programme for apprentices.

Astheimer Ltd

ASTHEIMER is a world class design studio. We work in a collaborative way to develop the products of the future for our clients on a global scale from smaller challenger brands to well established market leaders such as JLR, Bentley, Caterpillar and Mars.

We invest in the best talent and ongoing training in order to continuously improve our multi-disciplined, multicultural team. Our new four thousand square feet facility in Warwick has a modern studio equipped with the latest hardware and software including a VR zone and fully equipped workshop facility. This allows us to develop physical prototypes and full-scale mock ups that can be reviewed both physically and in VR during the product development process.

Our size makes us personable, flexible and fast, and the experience of developing a large variety of products on a global scale gives us a unique view and deep understanding of the emerging trends, latest materials, technologies and manufacturing processes.

Complementing our core product design, Astheimer provides branding, packaging and POS design, this holistic approach enables us to create a coherent customer experience which can be tailored to meet the individual needs of our clients.