Details

Mobility is an important basic need of mankind. Having your own vehicle means freedom and an increase in quality of life. Advances in technology and growing prosperity are also increasing traffic volumes and thus the number of new vehicle registrations. The markets for passenger cars in the industrialized countries are showing the first signs of oversaturation. In contrast, the emerging markets are at the beginning of an enormous increase in mobility. According to estimates, the number of vehicles globally will double in the next 25 years compared to today. It is foreseeable that the share of cars there will overtake that in industrialized nations. In this early stage of increasing individual mobility, vehicles must be extremely affordable. The impact on the environment is considered, but the desire to own a (first) car outweighs environmental protection. Since electromobility is affordable even in industrialized nations only through high subsidies, it will be factually impossible to meet the motorization needs of the 3rd or 4th world with this technology in the near future. The primary choice of buyers will therefore fall on means of transport with (inexpensive) internal combustion engines.

Task:
Design the future mobility of the 3rd and 4th world. This research will make it possible to minimize the environmental impact of the globally growing traffic flows while keeping vehicle acquisition costs as low as possible. The aim is a powertrain design for a new vehicle which, under the principles of frugal innovation, represents a win-win situation for the populations of industrialized nations through minimal emissions and developing countries through individual mobility. The work aims to conduct a literature review on frugal innovation topics and market analysis of the needs of 3rd and 4th world vehicle buyers.

Profile:
Preference will be given to students in a natural science or economics field.