Spirit Design has designed Carr.e, an innovative urban vehicle that exploit the technical components of e-bikes and applies them to a 4wheeler cargo so to exploit a 125,25M€ (by 2020) business opportunity. We are an internationally leading strategic design company born in 1993 in Vienna.

European cities are expected to reach 75% of the total population by 2020, besides Urban Freight Transport (UFT) represents 8% to 15% of the total. Urgent is the need of countermeasures to avoid road congestions, lower environmental pollution, from greenhouse gases (25% due to transport) to noise. Besides, e-commerce heavily relies on UFT and B2C sales are growing at a rate of 14% per year, urban logistics need to find solutions that are cost-effective, productive, efficient and environmentally sustainable.

Consequently, we propose Carr·e, which exploits electric power-assisted cycles features to create a 4-wheeler, innovative pedelec (pedal electric cycle) designed for UFT that needs no driving license and no homologation. Carr.e includes a modular architecture to provide flexible driver protection in a highly space-saving way. Carr.e is designed so that batteries can be easily changed and not recharged.

Carr.e is supported by the interest of main UFT stakeholders: POST AG, ÖAMTC and REWE and will be manufactured by the KSR Group. Carr·e will accumulate by 2020 a turnover of 125,25M€ and 32 new employees, ROI of 4,71%. Carr·e contributes to the EC goal for UFT of "CO2-free city logistics in urban centres by 2030".

Carr·e has been designed to address UFT issues:

• Reduction of urban environmental pollution.
• Increase of the cargo companies' delivery efficiency.
• An extension of B2B market applications for public administrations, SME business and corporations, tourism agencies or large-sized recreational areas thanks to its modularity.
• Energy efficient and low-cost solution for a wider range of cargo.
• No need to spend time to recharge batteries.