Method for the Conceptual Design of a New Mode of Urban Delivery Vehicle

Abstract

The transportation industry is undergoing a radical transformation driven by global trends and technological developments. Its main challenges include meeting the increasing demand for urban mobility and delivery services, while simultaneously addressing issues such as the requirement to reduce traffic congestion, limited parking space, and environmental pollution. This paper proposes a method for the conceptual design of innovative urban delivery vehicles meeting these challenges. The methodology is demonstrated in the proposed vehicle concept: a narrow-track leaning vehicle with the road signature of a motorscooter and the cargo capacity of a small four-wheeled vehicle aimed for low to high range and speed -mile delivery. The study presents a comprehensive methodology to optimize the vehicle parameters based on total annual costs of delivery and energy consumption. The result parameters are later used to demonstrate the benefits from a range in these vehicles, in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, compared to traditional four-wheeled delivery vehicles. It compares the performance of the proposed vehicle with a four-wheeled vehicle in delivery operations, in both midmile city use and in megacity scenarios. The findings underscore that the proposed vehicle has lower total annual costs of delivery, lower energy consumption, and higher delivery efficiency than the traditional vehicle. This paper concludes that the methodology guided the design to present a narrow-track leaning vehicle concept with high potential for reducing financial costs, mitigating negative environmental impact, and improving urban mobility.