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Aurora

Meet Aurora. She is an electric cargo vehicle designed with European urban professionals in mind. Her understated, yet attractive looks hide many thoughtful innovations, making Aurora the ultimate small cargo companion.

Aurora was our entry to Michelin Challenge Design 2018. The brief this year was to design a pickup truck for the future that would attract new customer segments. The starting point for our design process was a question: why would anyone buy a pickup truck to transport something, when a van generally does the job better?

2017
product design3D modellingrendering
WithVille Piippo
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Design drivers

Pickup trucks are generally designed with offroad conditions in mind, which makes them impractical in urban environments. Still, even there the idea of an open-bed cargo vehicle is a compelling one. In the city it will be put against vans, and should therefore not be just a great pickup truck, but a great transportation vehicle, period.

We wanted to stay away from the highly futuristic spaceship look that is prevalent in many car concepts, but instead approached the task as problem-solving: what are the issues in current designs? What's our desired cargo capacity? How about the user experience? As we focused on functionality, we also wanted the look of the vehicle to be simple and understandable, almost like a tool.

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Easy loading of cargo

Aurora makes sure any kind of cargo can be loaded, secured and unloaded safely and easily. Heavy objects can be rolled all the way up to the impressively large bed.

Once items are on board, a compressor-operated, weatherproof canopy will shield them from the elements. Customisable, air-filled dividers on the bed help organise and keep items from moving around.

Any surfaces susceptible for accidental bumps and scratches, outside and inside, are made from ultra-durable polymer, instead of precious, painted metals or chrome.

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Understands you

Hands full, but need to open a door? Aurora is there for you. Gently touch the door that you want to open.

The understanding goes deeper with Aurora. Tell her where to park and she will do the rest, keeping the bed perfectly level whilst carefully stepping over any obstacles. She even highlights the parking area for you.

And when you are parked, simply push down on one of the sides to lower the bed to the optimum level – or to raise it up.

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Little things to appreciate

There is a spacious, secure front storage drawer for any smaller and valuable items, such as tools.

Thanks to the large battery, Aurora can power any of those tools with ease and provide great work lighting in the dark.

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Every weather is the perfect weather

Aurora is from the north, and knows that conditions can vary greatly, even during the same trip. She feels the weather and the road and adjusts for the smoothest and safest ride possible for you and your cargo.

3D-printed electroactive polymer in the tyre changes the surface structure to expose or contract grooves or spikes, depending on what’s required in each situation. This happens individually in all four wheels, driven by a hub motor.

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