51 ELM last-mile delivery truck | EVD E-Mobility Engineering | May/June 2025 different applications and use cases, which we will look to explore once the delivery variant has been launched.” Astheimer explains that they consulted several logistics companies to understand their load capacity needs to see whether they could be satisfied within the L7e constraints, determining that they could. The European Union’s L7e category of ‘heavy quadricycles’ (EU Regulation 168/2013), specifically the L7e-CU cargo variant, limits the vehicle to an unladen mass of 600 kg without the main traction battery, a maximum width of 1.5 m and maximum length of 3.5 m. ELM set the maximum height at 2.1 m to respect parking constraints. The regulation also stipulates a maximum continuous power of 15 kW, a top speed of 90 kph and seating capacity for up to two people. “To maximize cargo capacity within these constraints, the vehicle architecture focuses on minimising the cabin dimensions in x, y and z, whilst retaining driver comfort, safety and ingress/egress ergonomics,” Astheimer says. “The result is that ELM has designed a vehicle where the load volume is circa 60% of the total vehicle volume, delivering 15% more usable and configurable cargo space than a standard compact van, while the platform weighs 50% less and has a 40% smaller footprint.” The headline specifications for the planned production machine are a vehicle weight of 850 kg (including the battery), 4 m3 of load volume and the ability to carry a standard 1.6 m Euro pallet. Such pallets have a base footprint of 1200 × 800 mm, a base height of 144 mm and a maximum height including cargo of 1.6 m. “What we understood from the duty cycles of the last-mile logistics companies we spoke to, is that the delivery driver will max out at approximately 150 stops per day, and that the average size of a parcel is approximately the size of a shoebox, resulting in a total load volume of circa 4 m³. Pallet priority ELM asked fleet managers why they had vans of different height, receiving the answer that they needed the taller vans to fit those 1.6 m high Euro pallets, which is a requirement that a compact van cannot satisfy. Astheimer emphasises that the ELM is the only sub-4.5 tonne light cargo vehicle capable of carrying such a pallet. He explains that accommodating this requires a spacious and tall cargo bay with always fit for purpose,” Astheimer says. “The vans are not suited to the innercity environment, being hard to park and with a load bay that is difficult to organise. Cargo bikes have reliability issues, are limited in load capacity and are exposed to the environment. What they need is the efficiency and manoeuvrability of a cargo bike but with the protection and load carrying capacity of a van.” With that in mind, ELM set about assessing the market and the size of the potential opportunity. This began with a feasibility study in which an initial concept vehicle architecture and costing were developed and presented to potential customers for feedback, Astheimer recalls. “Here we determined that there was a big enough demand for a purpose-built urban last-mile delivery vehicle, if we could satisfy the needs of the logistics companies by reducing costs of operations, reducing vehicle downtime and helping with their transition to an electric fleet.” Next came the creation of the proofof-concept demonstrator. Based on the running gear of a Renault Twizy donor vehicle, it is a mobile representation of the idea built to show potential customers and investors what the design and engineering teams from Astheimer and Prodrive were capable of developing. They emphasise, however, that the production machine will have a bespoke powertrain and chassis. Just 12 months after the companies formed ELM Mobility as a joint venture, they revealed the proof-of-concept machine at CENEX in September 2024, receiving encouraging feedback from logistics companies. Pursuing partnerships “ELM is now moving into the phase of production readiness, which it will do by creating strategic partnerships in development, manufacturing and after sales support,” according to Astheimer. “The focus will be specifically on lastmile delivery, but we are well aware that the platform we are creating will have Proof-of-concept vehicle in final assembly. Materials and structural details will be different in the production vehicles to meet demanding weight and BOM targets
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