Swedish microcar maker Luvly wants to be the IKEA of tiny electric cars
Luvly, a Swedish microcar company, is gearing up to produce a tiny, ultraefficient electric car for urban living – and distribute it around the world using a flat-pack shipping method, much like another famous Swedish brand.
Luvly derives its name from LUV, or “Light Urban Vehicle,” which really sets the tone for what they’re going after – small cars designed for city use.
Luvly’s first vehicle, the Luvly O, has specs intended to work perfectly for an urban dweller. Which is to say, those specs are not any more than what you need (or more than what European quadricycle regulations limit them to), combined into a cute, affordable, and convenient package.
The whole vehicle weighs just 380kg (837 pounds), about a fifth as much as the standard 4,000-pound passenger car (the Tesla Model 3 weighs around this much), resulting in lower manufacturing emissions. And its light weight means that it’s tremendously more efficient, with energy consumption on the order of 60Wh/km (96Wh/mi), about two to four times better than “full-size” electric cars.
This low energy consumption means the Luvly needs a smaller battery to get around, and the standard battery is just 6.4kWh. But that’s not the best part – the battery is two separate units, each weighing 15kg (33 pounds), and they are removable.
So, sure, you can plug in the car to charge it. But what if you park on the street and don’t have access to a charging point? Well, you can just take the battery with you into your apartment and charge it there. This might be harder if you’re carrying other things or live in a walk-up apartment or have reduced strength or mobility, but perhaps another carrying solution could be designed for people who need that.
The small battery means fast charge speeds as well. On a standard European 220-230V outlet, each battery unit should take about an hour to charge. In the US, due to our slower 120V outlets, it’ll take about two hours. No special charger or high-amperage outlets are needed – just a regular outlet. Quick charging times and potential battery swapping capabilities also give the car the potential to be used for urban car-sharing schemes.
But despite (and perhaps because of) its small size, the car is still capable of the feats that matter most for intracity tasks. Its top speed of 90km/h (55mph) is perhaps a bit slow for interstates but suitable for quick highway jaunts within a city and for any surface road. Its trunk holds 267 liters, a bit over nine cubic feet, which won’t help you haul lumber but should be enough for groceries, bags, or maybe even a small Costco run. It would also be ideal for last-mile/intracity delivery.
Tiny cars are often thought of as being less safe, primarily due to oversized vehicles taking over the road, leading to an arms race of vehicle size. But smaller and slower cars are safer for occupants and for those outside the car. Luvly says they will use a sandwich-structure composite safety shell with additional energy-absorbing foam material to keep occupants safe. (Luvly calls it “slow formula racing tech.”)
And down to the bottom line: Luvly plans to sell the Luvly O for around €10,000, or $11,000. That’s cheaper than any car you’ll find and not even much more expensive than high-end cargo bikes. If it ends up qualifying for EV subsidies in the various regions it ends up being sold, that price could become even more absurdly low.
Most of these specs are subject to change, especially with varying homologation rules in different territories. And Luvly does see opportunities in several markets, both around Europe and around the globe.
The IKEA of tiny electric cars
Luvly says its main innovation is in its production and assembly process, which it intends to license and allow for different cars to be built with its same processes. A sporty model, a small cargo van, or a three-wheeler are all potential configurations.
The IKEA comparison is not just about the shared country of origin but rather about Luvly’s planned production and shipping methods. Rather than assembling cars in one central factory and shipping them around the world fully assembled, Luvly has pioneered a process that allows for flat-pack shipping of vehicle parts.
Unlike IKEA, these won’t be assembled by the end user, but flat-pack shipping will allow a single shipping container to hold the parts required for 20 total cars, rather than needing a pure car carrying ship or loading one to four fully-assembled standard-sized cars in a container.
So parts can be produced in a central factory, and these parts are then assembled in micro factories covering individual sales regions. One 2000-square-meter micro factory could service a territory the size of Sweden.
Each micro factory then has a smaller footprint, deployment timeline, and capital expenditures to set up. Licensees of Luvly’s process could set these micro factories up much more easily than if they had to build the entire process themselves. And at end of life, these parts can be recycled as well.
While Luvly has some stiff competition in Europe from established brands, like Citroen and Renault, and smaller companies, like Microlino, it believes that its flat-pack and sandwich composite methods give it a leg up. But it also believes there is plenty of room for this market to grow and that drivers can be convinced to go smaller.
Why smaller is better
Luvly CEO Håkan Lutz, despite being 193cm (6’4) himself, is adamant that cars are too big and need to be smaller. (He says that he and his brother, who is even larger than him, fit in the car together just fine.) He notes that Sweden has the largest cars in Europe. Despite that, Swedes are an environmentally-conscious lot: They live in a spread-out country with few significantly sized cities; they love to bring the whole family out to the Sommarstuga (summer house) for vacation (and tow a 1000kg trailer while doing so – these are ubiquitous in Scandinavia); and many live in small quaint suburbs.
But this gets down to the current predicament with cities, especially in Europe, but really all around the world. Cars are getting bigger, and city centers aren’t. These bigger cars create more pollution, are more noisy, kill more pedestrians, cause more congestion, and take up more parking space. And this is happening when we need to move more people into cities and make them denser, not less dense, in order to make society more efficient in the face of climate change.
Lutz would like to see this trend reversed. He sees the arms race of larger cars as a symptom of humans seeing each other as competitors to distance and protect themselves from. And this attitude will not help us in the fight against climate change or the fight for better cities.
A reversal of the large car trend would lead to myriad societal benefits and could be paired with making cities more human-centric rather than car-centric. With car-centric cities, we surrender so much of our human space to vehicles that only get used for minutes a day. A smaller car is still a car, and it still takes up space and needs roads, but smaller cars fit better into the lives of city-dwellers than the huge land yachts which US and EU automakers are trending toward.
But he acknowledges that the Luvly O is better for intracity travel rather than for living outside a city and driving in. However, for some drivers who live in a nearby suburb/exurb – say, Lund to Malmö, two cities just 20km away – the Luvly could work and would certainly be easier to find parking for. And despite being a low population density country, Sweden still has an urbanization rate of 88% – higher than the US at 83%. So there are plenty of people in each country who could benefit from an urban-focused vehicle.
Lutz thinks that young city dwellers, who are increasingly tired of their cities being overrun by SUVs, are the perfect audience for Luvly. He wants to target cities with high levels of pollution and congestion and with significant numbers of urban commuters. These will largely start in Europe, though Lutz thinks there are young people in every city in the world who could be interested in a vehicle like this.
Yes, even in the US, where the stereotype goes that small cars won’t sell. And here I am, with a 2,800-pound car in the driveway, still wishing it were a bit smaller – so maybe he’s right.
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In a bold bid to combat the crippling air pollution crisis in its capital, Delhi, Indian lawmakers have begun high-level discussions about a plan to phase out gas and diesel combustion vehicles by 2035 – a move that could cause a seismic shift in the global EV space and provide a cleaner, greener future for India’s capital.
Long considered one of the world’s most polluted capital cities, Indian capital Delhi is taking drastic steps to cut back pollution with a gas and diesel engine ban coming soon – but they want results faster than that. As such, Delhi is starting with a city-wide ban on refueling vehicles more than 15 years old, and it went into effect earlier this week. (!)
“We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa … but they’re not stopping there. “Additionally, we will intensify scrutiny of heavy vehicles entering Delhi to ensure they meet prescribed environmental standards before being allowed entry.”
Making it prohibitively difficult for Dehli’s residents to own and operate older, presumably more polluting vehicles is one way to reduce harmful emissions and air pollution, but Sirsa’s team isn’t just targeting newer vehicles. They’re also planning to deploy more than 900 electric transit buses, part of a larger plan to replace 5,000 of the city’s 7,500 total bus with lower- or zero-emission options this year alone.
The Economic Times is reporting that discussions are underway to pass laws requiring that all future bus purchases will be required to be electric or “clean fuel” (read: CNG or hydrogen) by the end of this year, with a gas/diesel ban on “three-wheelers and light goods vehicles,” (commercial tuk-tuks and delivery mopeds) potentially coming 2026 to 2027 and a similar ban privately owned and operated cars and bikes coming “between 2030 and 2035.”
Electrek’s Take
After a Chinese government study linked air pollution caused by automotive exhausts and coal-fired power plants to more than 1.1 million deaths per year in 2013, the nation’s government took serious action, shuttering older coal plants and imposing strict emissions standards. The country also incentivized EV adoption through license-plate lotteries favoring electric cars and a nationwide EV mandate set to kick in by 2030.
The results were astounding, and the technological innovations that have come from an entire nation of talented engineers all “pulling in the same direction” have put the West to shame, with Western auto executives repeatedly sounding the alarm and lobbying for tariffs and other protectionist policies on both sides of the Atlantic.
To see India make move towards a gas and diesel ban like this, and on such an aggressive timeline, can only mean that they’ve been paying attention … and America is about to fall even further behind.
SOURCE: India Times; featured image by Sumita Roy Dutta.
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Last week, Parker Hannifin launched what they’re calling the industry’s first certified Mobile Electrification Technology Center to train mobile equipment technicians make the transition from conventional diesel engines to modern electric motors.
The electrification of mobile equipment is opening new doors for construction and engineering companies working in indoor, environmentally sensitive, or noise-regulated urban environments – but it also poses a new set of challenges that, while they mirror some of the challenges internal combustion faced a century ago, aren’t yet fully solved. These go beyond just getting energy to the equipment assets’ batteries, and include the integration of hydraulic implements, electronic controls, and the myriad of upfit accessories that have been developed over the last five decades to operate on 12V power.
At the same time, manufacturers and dealers have to ensure the safety of their technicians, which includes providing comprehensive training on the intricacies of high-voltage electric vehicle repair and maintenance – and that’s where Parker’s new mobile equipment training program comes in, helping to accelerate the shift to EVs.
“We are excited to partner with these outstanding distributors at a higher level. Their commitment to designing innovative mobile electrification systems aligns perfectly with our vision to empower machine manufacturers in reducing their environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency,” explains Mark Schoessler, VP of sales for Parker’s Motion Systems Group. “Their expertise in designing mobile electrification systems and their capability to deliver integrated solutions will help to maximize the impact of Parker’s expanding METC network.”
The manufacturing equipment experts at Nott Company were among the first to go through the Parker Hannifin training program, certifying their technicians on Parker’s electric motors, drives, coolers, controllers and control systems.
“We are proud to be recognized for our unwavering dedication to advancing mobile electrification technologies and delivering cutting-edge solutions,” says Nott CEO, Markus Rauchhaus. “This milestone would not have been possible without our incredible partners, customers and the team at Nott Company.”
In addition to Nott, two other North American distributors (Depatie Fluid Power in Portage, Michigan, and Hydradyne in Fort Worth, Texas) have completed the Parker certification.
Electrek’s Take
With the rise of electric equipment assets like Bobcat’s T7X compact track loader and E10e electric excavator that eliminate traditional hydraulics and rely on high-voltage battery systems, specialized electrical systems training is becoming increasingly important. Seasoned, steady hands with decades of diesel and hydraulic systems experience are obsolete, and they’ll need to learn new skills to stay relevant.
Certification programs like Parker’s are working to bridge that skills gap, equipping technicians with the skills to maximize performance while mitigating risks associated with high-voltage systems. Here’s hoping more of these start popping up sooner than later.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Parker Hannifin.
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Based on a Peterbilt 579 commercial semi truck, the ReVolt EREV hybrid electric semi truck promises 40% better fuel economy and more than twice the torque of a conventional, diesel-powered semi. The concept has promise – and now, it has customers.
Austin, Texas-based ReVolt Motors scored its first win with specialist carrier Page Trucking, who’s rolling the dice on five of the Peterbilt 579-based hybrid big rigs — with another order for 15 more of the modified Petes waiting in the wings if the initial five work out.
The deal will see ReVolt’s “dual-power system” put to the test in real-world conditions, pairing its e-axles’ battery-electric torque with up to 1,200 miles of diesel-extended range.
ReVolt Motors team
The ReVolt team starts off with a Peterbilt, then removes the transmission and drive axle, replacing them with a large genhead and batteries. As the big Pete’s diesel engine runs (that’s right, kids – the engine stays in place), it creates electrical energy that’s stored in the trucks’ batteries. Those electrons then flow to the truck’s 670 hp e-axles, putting down a massive, 3500 lb-ft of Earth-moving torque to the ground at 0 rpm.
The result is an electrically-driven semi truck that works like a big BMW i3 or other EREV, and packs enough battery capacity to operate as a ZEV (sorry, ZET) in ports and urban clean zones. And, more importantly, allows over-the-road drivers to hotel for up to 34 hours without idling the engine or requiring a grid connection.
That ability to “hotel” in the cab is incredibly important, especially as the national shortage of semi truck parking continues to worsen and the number of goods shipped across America’s roads continues to increase.
And, because the ReVolt trucks can hotel without the noise and emissions of diesel or the loss of range of pure electric, they can immediately “plug in” to existing long-haul routes without the need to wait for a commercial truck charging infrastructure to materialize.
“Drivers should not have to choose between losing their longtime routes because of changing regulatory environments or losing the truck in which they have already made significant investments,” explains Gus Gardner, ReVolt founder and CEO. “American truckers want their trucks to reflect their identity, and our retrofit technology allows them to continue driving the trucks they love while still making a living.”
If all of that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of Hyliion.
Hyliion electric semi truck
Before it changed its focus to develop Carnot-cycle generators and gensets, Austin-based Hyliion built a number of EREV Peterbilts using the then-new 15L Cummins diesel as a generator and employing the same sort of battery and e-axle-arrangement as ReVolt.
In addition to being located in the same town and employing the same idea in the same Peterbilt 579 tractor, ReVolt even employs some of the same key players as Hyliion: both the company’s CTO, Chandra Patil, and its Director of Engineering, Blake Witchie, previously worked at Hyliion’s truck works.
Still, Hyliion made their choice when they shut down their truck business. ReVolt seems to have picked up the ball – and their first customer is eager to run with it.
“Our industry is undergoing a major transition, and fleet owners need practical solutions that make financial sense while reducing our environmental impact,” said Dan Titus, CEO of Page Trucking. “ReVolt’s hybrid drivetrain lowers our fuel costs, providing our drivers with a powerful and efficient truck, all without the need for expensive charging infrastructure or worrying about state compliance mandates. The reduced emissions also enable our customers to reduce their Scope 2 emissions.”
Page Trucking has a fleet of approximately 500 trucks in service, serving the agriculture, hazardous materials, and bulk commodities industries throughout Texas. And, if ReVolt’s EREV semis live up to their promise, expect them to operate a lot more than 20 of ’em.
SOURCES | IMAGES: ReVolt; via Power Progress, TTNews.
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