Eindhoven University of Technology presented the world’s first modular car during the AutoRAI show in Amsterdam

Eindhoven, Netherlands, 20-4-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Students from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) present the world’s first modular car during the AutoRAI show in Amsterdam. According to the students’ calculations, this electrically powered three-person car with luggage space has a ‘fuel consumption’ – relative to a conventional gasoline‑powered car – of only around 0.125 l/100 km or nearly 1,900 miles per US gallon.

Modules 
Nova was conceived and built by the TU/ecomotive student team from TU/e, with the aim of creating a comfortable car for use in all kinds of situations. For this reason the car has a modular design in a number of respects. Key features are the car’s exchangeable batteries. The use of one or more batteries allows the driver to match the range of the car to the type of journey. The weight of only 300 kg, together with the most economical settings of the available options, gives the car a top speed of 90 km/h and an equivalent fuel consumption of 0.125 l/100 km, relative to a gasoline-powered car.

Putting the user first
Another striking feature of Nova is the car’s three-seater concept, in which the driver sits alone in the front at the center of the dashboard. This perfectly expresses the ‘user-centric’ design, says Steven Nelemans, team manager of TU/ecomotive: “The driver is literally right at the heart of the car”. As well as that, the exchangeable outer panels also allow the car to be matched to the user’s preferences.

AutoRAINova will be on show from 16 April together with other student teams in the Innovation Lab (Hall 3) during the AutoRAI 2015. Also featured at this top show are Stella, the solar-powered car from Solar Team Eindhoven, the racing car from University Racing Eindhoven, and the latest components from InMotion. With these innovative technologies, students are presenting the latest developments and concepts in mobility to a mass audience.

###