2015 TU Ecomotive Nova Concept

Nova is officially unveiled!

Thursday 16 Apr 2015

On April the 16th, during the AutoRAI, we officially presented Nova. Nova, the world's first modular car, is an electric car which is designed and developed by the team members.

Modular car

The modular characteristics of Nova are visible in various components. One of the most interesting ones is the fact that the body panels, made of a bio-composite material, can be exchanged by means of a click system. This way, the shape and the color of the car can be adjusted at any moment. Another great benefit is that the battery packs can be easily replaced. Consequently, empty packs can easily be substituted by full ones, so that the driving can continue his trip.

Modular components can be found in the interior as well. The rear seats can easily be placed and removed, and the infotainment system can be adjusted to all the user's wishes. By adjusting Nova's configuration to the drive that has to be made, she is always more efficient than cars which are solely made for one purpose, so called purpose-built cars. One could think about using one motor and one battery when the car drives in a city centre, resulting in less weight. Using multiple motors and batteries, in its turn, is more efficient for long drives along the highway. When the batteries eventually still run out of energy, they can be quickly replaced by full ones.

User-centricity

Besides the functional benefits of Nova, she also has characteristics that puts the user at the center. The user is challenged to configurate the car to his own wishes, at any given moment. When the user thinks it is time to equip the car with a new shape or colour, this is easily realisable because of the exchangeable body parts. This is possible in the interior as well. The lights can be set to the user's mood, just like the high quality infotainment system. Other parts of the interior, like cup holders or even a wireless phone charger, can be placed according to what is desired. Moreover, the user-centricity can be seen with the striking fact that the driver's seat is placed in the middle of the vehicle. Truly everything is about the user.

The car of the future

Nova's purpose is to show that modular features have a future in the automotive industry as well. To emphasize this, Nova will receive a Dutch license plate. Sustainability and efficiency are very important aspects of Nova, which is evident when looking at the energy use of the vehicle. In the most efficient configuration, Nova weighs less than 300kg. Because she is so light, an energy consumption of the equivalent of 800 kilometers on 1 liter of fuel is possible. This is much more efficient than the cars driving around today. In the road legal version, Nova reaches her top speed at 90 km/h. From May the 11th, Nova will be taken on a road trip through The Netherlands, so that the can also be admired while in action.