A compact electric scooter for crowded megacities
13 April 2013
TUM Create has unveiled an all-new multipurpose scooter prototype, codenamed VOI, at the third Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show.
Multipurpose electric scooter VOI
VOI gets its name from the Vietnamese word for elephant – a symbol of a safe and intelligent means of transport. It is a two-wheel concept vehicle jointly developed by students from Technische Universität Munich (TUM) and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and was built in Singapore.
The design brief for the VOI was to develop a two-wheel transporter that is as agile and affordable as a scooter and, at the same time, as safe and comfortable as a car. With its compact size and maneouvrability, the two-wheel electric scooter is designed as a transporter for densely populated megacities where congested traffic is a major problem.
An enclosed passenger cabin shields occupants from the elements and also offers added rigidity and stiffness to the vehicle chassis, which provides additional passenger protection.
The VOI addresses the ‘first/last mile' problem, where it complements an existing metro railway and public transport system, to offer commuters intermediate transportation between the stations to their destinations.
The VOI is not just limited to transporting passengers. Its modular front pod can be swapped for a cargo box or even a mobile kitchen – making it a multipurpose vehicle. Thanks to its lightweight design, the VOI is capable of reaching a nominal range of 80km and has a maximum speed of 45km/h.