Aachen University in Germany has taken the concept of open source, which has typically applied to software development, and applied it to the development of an electric vehicle.
The culmination of the project is the StreetScooter, an EV that will retail in the order of $7000, can reach a top speed of 74 mph and has an 80-mile range. It uses leased batteries, to help keep the cost down, and is already off to a great start with DHL couriers already picking 3,500 of them.
Traditionally, vehicles are designed by one OEM. The OEM creates the components that they have the facilities for and then sources the components from parts suppliers. The parts suppliers will deliver some off the shelf components and other times, will create custom parts as required.
“The problem with this approach is that there are huge additional amounts of innovative ideas in the supply chain that could not be followed given this type of OEM-focused development,†said Prof. Achim Kampker of Aachen University, and the managing director of the StreetScooter project.
Consequently, the StreetScooter project has turned this ages old process upside down by opting for what is, in effect, an open source approach. The project began with 10 companies partnering on it, but ended up being a huge collaboration between dozens of companies from different countries. Each one of the over 50 companies involved had a direct hand in the finished product as equal partners.
“Everyone is on par with each other. Everyone can bring in ideas to radically try whatever makes sense. The subject matter expert comes to the table and collaborates…†said Kampker. “In case of a conflict that cannot be resolved, the issue is sent to the team of leaders in program management and it is resolved at that level.â€
With each company able to contribute in this way, it led to the car being made largely from modular components that can be easily dropped into the final design.
The end result has been that the car has gone from the development phase to the finished design in only a year. A traditional approach to building a similar vehicle would likely have taken years longer.
The StreetScooter will be on the road in Germany as soon as spring 2013, with plans to bring it to the US soon after.
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1.’50 companies team…’ view
