Safer and smaller e-bikes for all
I-FEVS (Interactive Fully Electrical Vehicles) is on a mission to make electric mobility accessible and mainstream.
To design its e-bike, the Italian electric vehicle specialist uses the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform to streamline design and engineering processes.
"We started the company focusing on electromobility, convinced it would become mainstream in the near future. We address urban mobility and are strongly motivated to develop best-in-class cars and bikes with a focus on safety, ergonomics, efficiency, interactivity, sustainability and affordability."
Pietro Perlo, I-FEVS co-founder and president.
At first glance, the I-FEVS e-bike looks different to other models on the market. For one, it has three wheels – one at the front and two at the rear, set 20 centimeters apart. This unique, patented design helps to make the e-bike more stable, easier to turn and reduces the risk of riders becoming unbalanced in wet and icy conditions.
"The two independent rear-wheels have a novel suspension system to ensure a comfortable ride. We designed our bike to be as safe as possible while delivering the performance of a cargo bike. It’s for everyone to enjoy and feel confident riding – young and old."
Pietro Perlo.
Modular by design, I-FEVS’ e-bike serves multiple uses, including commuting, urban delivery and day-to-day family travel. Solar panels encase the e-bike’s high strength nanostructured steel square-tubed frame, charging the onboard electric motor as it drives.
"The high efficiency thin film photovoltaics perform active balancing of the battery pack. It’s another feature we’ve patented. We’re also implementing a level of interactivity that is not available today by putting onboard a network of machine learning boards that transform the bike into an intelligent device."
Pietro Perlo.
Currently at the pre-series funding stage, I-FEVS designed and developed the entire bike on the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform. The company’s automotive industry roots means the team used CATIA V5 for other projects and decided to transition to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Their aim: bring all disciplines within a single environment and manage the entire product development lifecycle with one solution.
"Using the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform, we are experiencing a continuous stream of interaction among our people."
Marco Biasiotto, Head of the mechanical department, I-FEVS.
Developing the e-bike in the cloud
Before moving to the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform, I-FEVS assessed whether a cloud-based solution would be suitable for its needs. The company’s leaders had concerns around data security but Dassault Systèmes demonstrated how the cloud delivers robust security features and full data control.
"When you move to the cloud, the first thing you have in mind is that you’re sharing documentation on a public platform. Then, we went step by step and we understood we could manage the confidentiality and security of our data properly and that it remained under our ownership."
Pietro Perlo.
Through their strong partnership, I-FEVS and Dassault Systèmes work closely to ensure the success of the platform implementation.
"The engagement from Dassault Systèmes has been very good and we’ve appreciated their support. The jump from CATIA V5 to 3DEXPERIENCE is a big change in approach. Our commitment to make the change was driven by the promise of significantly improving collaboration and having a single environment for managing the entire product lifecycle. Now, we’re beginning to work in an entirely new way, and I recommend the change to everyone. The cloud is forcing us to rethink our overall design and review processes and collaborate better than ever before."
Pietro Perlo.
Full product lifecycle visibility
As I-FEVS progresses through the concept, prototype, and pre-series phases, the company plans to use the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform to establish a continuous data flow across the e-bike’s entire development lifecycle.
The way we organize ourselves internally will develop to follow the lifecycle management of the product.
That carries through into how we share and centrally store our data to ensure we see the bigger picture across our processes. So far, using the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform, we are experiencing a continuous stream of interaction among our people.
Marco Biasiotto.
The company takes advantage of ENOVIA for product variant management and will expand its use for project management to achieve full traceability at every stage. This visibility will help I-FEVS comply with industry safety standards and regulations.
"Traceability was a key reason we turned to the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform. We must care for the e-bike from design to end of life. Traceability is not just complying with regulations. We need to have full control of what we propose to our customers."
Pietro Perlo.
Virtual twins for managing e-bike fleets
I-FEVS’ ambitions reach beyond changing the way that people travel. Through its collaboration with Dassault Systèmes, the company is working to create a perfect replica of the physical bike in the virtual world to handle ongoing maintenance.
"We are automotive people. We want to produce the way automotive companies do and that means we want to introduce virtual twins to actively manage the e-bike at all stages. The continuous exchange of data between the physical vehicle and a live, virtual model has many implications on design, maintenance, product improvement, and management throughout its life."
Pietro Perlo.
To monitor e-bikes on the road, I-FEVS will use the virtual twin to gather live data and use that information to optimize performance and manage parts. The 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform will help to identify worn or outdated components that need to be replaced to ensure longevity.
"The virtual twin will help us to identify when to change parts and update firmware, how to effectively manage predictive maintenance, how to best manage the battery pack and deliver future product refinements.
We are pursuing a strong collaboration not only with our industry partners but also with our customers. We want them to be actively involved in our vision for a new world and the virtual twin will help to nurture that relationship."
Marco Biasiotto.
I hope we can combine our creativity and technical know-how to create the next generation of sustainable mobility solutions that serve people and the planet.
Pietro Perlo.
Securing strong industry partnerships
Forming strong R&D partnerships with key industry players is integral to I-FEVS’ innovation spirit and ability to pioneer new product concepts.
"One of our key strengths is our collaboration with around 150 R&D organizations, including Magnetto Automotive and ArcelorMittal to develop high-strength materials; Cidaut and the University of Surrey on vehicle dynamics; Dana and Valeo on powertrain development; and STMicroelectronics and Infineon on machine learning boards.
This enables us to cover the complex multidisciplinary facets of the mobility sector. When we set out on our digital transformation, we needed a platform that would enable us to share our vision and facilitate close working relationships. The 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform delivers all the capabilities to facilitate this."
Pietro Perlo.
It is still early days, but I-FEVS is already benefiting from the value of the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform.
"In a short space of time, we have radically changed the way we work. It is difficult to quantify cost savings yet, but we can already see a big difference in the way our partners look at us. As a company that wants to be perceived as an innovator, we must use the most advanced tools, and the industry can see that’s exactly what we’re doing."
Marco Biasiotto.
