The design collaboration that brought us the Revolve wheelchair in 2021 has now turned its attention to the problem of inner-city mobility. Noting that many four-wheel drive vehicles around the city only have one passenger, the team designed a compact electric vehicle for one person.
The collaboration in question is between German mobility designer Andrea Mosselin and engineering consulting firm Dexet Technologies. The Zigy concept was inspired by the narrow, congested roads of London, where the thinking seems to be that large and bulky SUVs often only have one occupant, so why not just develop a “small zero-emission vehicle specifically designed for city commuting”?
Small electric “cars” aren’t new of course, we’ve seen a number of big and small automakers, but we haven’t encountered very many single-seat urban vehicles outside of motorcycle vehicles. The project is still in the feasibility phase of development, with Mocellin and his team now looking for industry partners to take the concept to prototyping and beyond. Zigy is being developed for private use, rental models and fleet operation – although future charging versions for commercial use are also suggested.
Andrea Mocklin
Specifications at this stage are largely subject to change, but the single-seat electric quad bike is currently expected to be 1.95 meters (6.4 ft) long with a 1.59 meter wheelbase, 1.1 meters (3.6 ft) wide and 1.6 meters high. (5.3 feet) high. We know that the designers have conducted digital simulations of the aerodynamics, and are claiming a drag coefficient of around 0.35 – which “contributes to a 25% improvement in range compared to competitors.”
It is designed to be built around a thermoplastic composite frame designed by Dexet, with recycled carbon fiber and unspecified natural fibers used both inside and outside. Its net weight will be 353 kg (778 lbs). The turning circle is relatively tight at 7 meters (23 feet) to provide good city maneuverability, and its compact dimensions should make parking easy, plus there’s 30 liters of boot space for transporting shopping home.
Andrea Mocklin
The compact car’s 12 kW engine reaches 21 kW and produces a maximum torque of 135 Nm (99.5 lb-ft). Top speed is reported to be 77 km/h (48 mph), which will likely keep it within urban/city territory, while battery range is around 160 km (100 mi) per charge.
As mentioned earlier, the car is designed to accommodate only one person, and can be accessed through a single door. Renderings show what looks like motorcycle-style handlebar controls, although specification specs include a steering wheel – such things will no doubt work themselves out at the prototype stage.
We don’t have any information on production plans at this early stage, but the pair’s first collaboration product has since been released, so there’s a chance the Zigy will hit European streets as an L7e (or LSV in the US) at some point in the future.
Source: Andrea Mosselan
