The development of an electric cargo vehicle

Sammanfattning

This master’s thesis presents the development of an electric cargo vehicle adapted to the urban, infrastructural and socioeconomic conditions of Cochabamba, Bolivia. The project was conducted in collaboration with Eco Delivery, a Bolivian last mile logistics company seeking a sustainable and locally manufacturable transport solution capable of supporting urban delivery operations under demanding conditions. The work followed an adapted Double Diamond design process combined with human centred design principles. Initial stages included benchmarking of existing cargo bikes and electric utility vehicles, field observations, stakeholder interviews and operational analysis of Eco Delivery’s current fleet. The collected insights revealed the importance of stability, rider comfort, manoeuvrability, durability and serviceability within the Bolivian context, leading to the selection of a narrow four wheel vehicle architecture. The Develop phase focused on the systematic design and integration of subsystems including the frame, suspension, steering, drivetrain, braking system, cargo module, seating and electric powertrain. Emphasis was placed on the use of locally available materials and simple manufacturing methods to improve maintainability and feasibility for local production. The outcome of the project is the digital prototype Tunari 1.0, an electric cargo vehicle designed to transport payloads of up to 200 kg while remaining compact and manoeuvrable in rough urban environments. The project demonstrates how engineering design can be adapted to local constraints to support more sustainable and accessible urban logistics solutions.