RWTH Aachen and e.Volution develop lightweight aluminium EV for circular economy

RWTH Aachen and a start-up e.Volution have developed a circular economy electric vehicle that is estimated to have a longevity of 50 years due to its modular upgrades. This is their second model, and e.Volution was founded by Professor Günther Schuh, who also created StreetScooter and e.GO.

The "next generation vehicle production concept" involves a new modularity approach to cars by replacing the self-supporting body with a sturdy aluminium chassis and replaceable shorter-life exterior and interior components. This is made possible by the electric drive, which e.Volution claims can last 4-5 times longer than an internal combustion engine.

Professor Günther noted how the use of sustainable concepts in car making "can make e-vehicles significantly cheaper and more sustainable to manufacture and operate".

e.Volution has launched two new vehicles, the Meta and the Space, both of which are based on the Oscar chassis. The Meta is a corporate shuttle that can seat 6-7 people and comes equipped with multimedia office workstations for commuters. On the other hand, the Space is a company car that comes in short and long-wheelbase versions and can seat 5-7 people. It's perfect for long-distance drivers or as a family car.

The Oscar chassis, also known as "Open Source Car Architecture Research," is constructed using aluminium profiles. This design significantly reduces the amount of effort needed to develop and certify a new electric vehicle, and the standardized interfaces also improve cost efficiency for the components.

The company doesn't recommend dismantling the aluminium profile frame during the vehicle's lifetime if it's not extremely necessary, e.Volution also stated: "Almost all innovation-carrying and design-relevant components such as displays, sensors, vehicle computers, batteries, headlights, exterior, seats, and interior can be replaced in a re-assembly factory. Niche vehicles and additional customization by special vehicle builders and third-party providers become economically viable."

To achieve a range of 750 kilometres, e.Volution uses an additional fuel cell range extender instead of relying solely on a battery electric drive. However, the hydrogen range extender will only be available in a few years due to the limited availability of green hydrogen. In the meantime, a two-cylinder engine running on LPG will serve as the range extender, but it can be easily replaced thanks to the car's modularity.

The start-up recently unveiled its new model, the Space, at the Aachen Machine Tool Colloquium (AWK), following their earlier showcase of the Meta at the Greentech Festival in Berlin in 2022. To support e.Volution, the WZL of RWTH Aachen, also presented a section of their "upgrade re-assembly factory", which enables vehicles to be refurbished and upgraded on an industrial scale every five years.

Moreover, e.Volution intends to repurpose retired battery modules as home storage units for second-life use.