An autonomous, self-driving vehicle, Tata Yu can transport both goods and people to their respective destinations
With electrification and technology advancements, the future of mobility will be quite different from what we see today. Providing a glimpse of things to come is this new Tata Yu cargo van that fulfils the last mile connectivity needs of both goods and people. As Tata Yu can be a gamechanger, Tata has filed a patent for the same. Let’s take a look at the details of Tata Yu and try to understand its potential.
Tata Yu project details
Primary architects of the Tata Yu concept are Ansuman Mallik and Atmaj Verma. The 6-month project was taken up at the Strate School of Design, Bangalore and was sponsored by Tata Motors. Folks providing the required guidance and mentorship included Ajay Jain (TATA Motors), Edmund Spitz ( HOD of the Transportation Design, Strate School of Design, Bangalore) and Thomas Dal (Dean, Strate School of Design Bangalore).
Ansuman Mallik and Atmaj Verma came up with the idea for Tata Yu when they noticed that goods and people often take the same routes. And yet, the current transportation system has different vehicles for cargo and people. As cargo and people were often moving in the same direction and destinations, the creators started thinking about a vehicle that can carry both cargo and passengers. The search eventually led to the creation of the Tata Yu concept.
Tata Yu – How it works?
In the middle section, Tata Yu has plenty of space for storing e-commerce parcels. And at the rear, the van has space for passengers. The e-commerce parcels are stored in the middle section in boxes of various sizes. The van collects these directly from the warehouse and delivers it to the desired location. It has the capability to automatically sort these boxes, as per the delivery destination.
The delivery is done in two ways. At places where a dedicated automated transfer system is available, the e-commerce parcels are directly deposited in that system. In this project, this automated transfer system is referred to as the ‘bridge’. In the future, such systems can come up at various offices and housing complexes.
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Another way to deliver the parcels is via the delivery executive. Similar to food delivery apps, gig workers can get details about the package to be delivered. They can accept the offer and pick up the parcel from the van at the designated stop. They can then deliver the parcel to the destination and earn their commission.
Talking about moving passengers, the process is the same as seen with taxi operators like Uber. Passengers can enter their destination on the app. If any van is going in the same direction, they can hop on and reach their destination. Payment will be made via the app. Tata Yu can accommodate two passengers.
Tata Yu specs
In its concept form, Tata Yu is 3,700 mm long, 1,500 mm wide and 1,800 mm tall. The vehicle will be powered by hub-mounted motors. More details such as battery capacity and range are not available right now. The vehicle will take several years to reach production stage. The creators are looking at a timeline of 2030 and beyond for the Tata Yu project to become commercially available.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
