Innovative transportation solutions provider reduces vehicle weight by 30 percent, optimizes aerodynamics, and minimizes the need for physical prototypes with SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation portfolio.
ChallengeInvent, develop, and commercialize the world’s first purpose-driven, electric, smart, two-wheeled, compact logistics vehicle to revolutionize sustainable logistics operations by providing a safer, more efficient means to deliver goods in crowded urban settings with greater load capacity than existing motorcycles and scooters. | SolutionLeverage the unified, integrated modeling and simulation (MODSIM) approach offered by the cloud-enabled 3DEXPERIENCE® Works portfolio to accelerate innovation, while securely managing data on the collaborative 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Implement a digital-twin approach to virtual prototyping with the help of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS® Premium, Collaborative Industry Innovator, SIMULIA Durability & Mechanics Engineer, SIMULIA Fluid Dynamics Engineer, SIMULIA Electromagnetics Engineer, SIMULIA Plastic Injection Engineer, 3D Motion Creator, and 3DSwymer roles on the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform. | Results
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In 2016, electrical engineer Vijay K. Praveen and his India-based startup QARGOS® started a journey to develop eco-friendly two-wheel electric vehicles and e-bikes. The company’s comprehensive market analysis uncovered a significant gap in the logistics sector for transporting cargo between 20 and 120 kg (44 and 264 lbs) using two-wheel vehicles. This gap translated to a market opportunity exceeding US \$5 billion that the company aimed to fill. Its first innovative electric cargo vehicle was tailored to enhance logistics in densely populated regions and advance the world’s transition to sustainable transportation solutions.
Backpacks and boxes pose health and safety concerns for drivers of two-wheel vehicles. The QARGOS F9 Cargo Scooter is designed to serve individuals carrying cargo in wearable backpacks or rear boxes on two-wheel motorbikes, mopeds, or bicycles. QARGOS began developing the F9 in earnest in 2018. The company participated in the SOLIDWORKS® for Startups Program and used SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD to create preliminary design concepts. After getting a demonstration of the unified modeling and simulation approach (MODSIM) made possible by 3DEXPERIENCE® Works, QARGOS took the next step by adding cloud-based solutions to its SOLIDWORKS installation in 2021.
Engineer a Pickup Truck Experience on Two Wheels
Maintaining the center of gravity presented a significant challenge in the QARGOS F9 design. Because the vehicle needs to remain dynamically stable when unloaded and loaded with up to 275 lbs, the design required a comprehensive development approach involving multiple iterations. As Co-founder Alok Das points out, this process was underpinned by extensive simulation, thorough testing, and continuous engagement with potential customers.
“The addition of the 3DEXPERIENCE Works solutions—particularly the MODSIM workflows—magnified our capabilities and elevated our development efforts,” Das stresses. “Because 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation solutions are fully integrated with SOLIDWORKS, the transition between design and simulation is seamless, supporting the simulation-driven approach that helped us improve the design with every iteration.”
The company’s plan to develop the vehicle with zero prototyping required QARGOS engineers to explore hundreds of design alternatives in the early development stage. The unified approach with SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Works enabled development to progress more quickly. Easy access to all the product development tools and leveraging high-performance computing on the cloud for complex simulations made it simple for critical stakeholders at QARGOS to access and share data from any location.
