Echos Stazione di ricarica elettrica

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Echos: electric charging on-demand station. It consists of a charging station, autonomous, mobile and on-demand that can be functional both for the user of an electric vehicle and for the urban context.
The idea stems from the desire to provide a robotic, autonomous and on-demand charging experience that is therefore not bound by a fixed position, all this making charging flexible, simple and accessible at any time.

Dimensions & Packaging

Technical characteristics:
- Battery: Dimensions: L 363.3 mm x L 453.6 mm x H 210 mm (layout 8x2)
Weight: 2,09 Kg
Cell Type: Lithium Ferrophosphate
Number of cells: 32
Energy: 21,3 kwh
- Echos
Power supply: direct current (DC)
Dimensions: L 500 mm x L 900 mm x H 820 mm
Range: 280.8 Wh (about 20 Km)
Power supply: 3000 F supercapacitor
Motor: 250 W in front wheels
Connectors: Ccs Combo2 and chademo
Type of driving: autonomous
Charging type: wireless/ solar cells
Wheels: 10 inches with airless tires

Tags

E-mobility, Electric car, Smart City, Decarbonisation, Smart Mobility, Autonomous Driving, On demand, Robot, Charging, Sustainability

Production Technology

The approach used is "Design Thinking": it researches and analyzes problems and intervenes in the processes that concern them, removing obstacles and finding new opportunities for improvement.
The materials were chosen according to Sustainability:
-Structure: aluminium, chosen for its many characteristics, one of which is recyclability.
-Shell: abs recycled, has strong toughness, impact and tensile strength. One of the transformation technologies of this material is thermoforming.

Design Challenge

The most important difficulty faced during the design was to look for information and applications realized on autonomous vehicles and their technologies. The design has also led to define the use of technologies not yet tested but still being tested.

Research

The empirical research method focuses on observation and experimentation to understand and explain phenomena. The objectives of the research are to collect data and explain the behavior of users towards electric vehicles and the way to recharge them. The types of analysis used are: field analysis, an analysis of the electric vehicle market, a benchmark analysis and best practices. User profiles (personas) were also created that could use the product and service made.

Inspiration

The city of the future, is based on an innovative model with a "Smart" approach. One of the key issues for achieving sustainable urban development in smart cities is mobility. The project deals with analyzing this process of electrification, ie the progressive replacement of means of transport that use fossil fuels, with technologies that use electricity. The project aims to meet the need to ensure and expand the charging network not only in a capillary but also flexible.

Project Duration

Echos is a project that emerged in the context of the realization of my master's thesis. The research phase began in November 2021 and ended in September 2022. The whole work was supervised by the architect Alessandra Rinaldi and the engineer Alberto Reatti, who gave me technical, aesthetic and design support. The discussion of the project took place during the graduation in September 2022 at the University of Florence, on the Design Campus of Calenzano.

Operation Flow

The user can request an Echos device via the app and can proceed with the charging request. The app estimates Echos arrival time based on the location of the nearest hub. The robot will use gps data to locate the vehicle, and once in place it can be connected and start charging the vehicle. Once the reloading process is complete, a notification will notify the user of the completion of the process, and Echos, once disconnected, can return autonomously to the nearest hub.