Qargos F9 Electric CLV – Leveraging the Power of 3DEXPERIENCE platform
Published on : Tuesday 20-02-2024
At the 3DEXPERIENCE WORLD 2024 in Dallas, Qargos unveiled the F9 Cargo Scooter Platform for sustainable urban logistics.
It was one of the talking points at the Dassault Systemes’ annual 3DEXPERIENCE WORLD, held this year in Dallas (Texas, USA), an event that celebrates imaginations, innovations and communities shaping the future of design and manufacturing. An excellent example of how purpose shapes engineering, the electric F9 Cargo Scooter by Pune-based startup Qargos is a compact logistics vehicle (CLV) intended to fill up the gap between the average two-wheeler that is often used for carrying loads, and the smallest commercial 3- or 4-wheelers used for last mile cargo delivery.
According to Alok Das, the passionate co-founder of Qargos, five years ago, the company embarked on a mission to revolutionise cargo transportation, identifying a missing segment for transporting cargo weighing between 20 kg to 120 kg and up to 225 litres in volume, which led to the conception of the Qargos F9, catering to unique logistical needs to fill the gap mentioned above. The modular design allows for customisation, including refrigeration options for specific cargo needs. The vehicle is equipped with IoT technology with integrated AI/ML models for advanced fleet management. The company believes the potential market that exists in this space is in excess of USD 5 bn and the Qargos F9 would be the first electric cargo vehicle tailored for this niche.
Identifying the problem
“The intention when we started working on this particular thing in the 2019-20 timeframe, there is no baseline, practically speaking, there were no benchmarks. Typically, let's say if somebody has to design a product, if X Company wants to build an electric car, then Tesla would be a benchmark. If somebody wants to build an electric motorbike, they will look at Hero motorcycles or something like that. What do we take? We didn't have any benchmarks. So what we used is some of the other commuter vehicles we just looked at from the reference standpoint, but practically speaking, no benchmarks,” says Das.
The lack of benchmarks or data was no deterrent for the young team at Qargos. “What we did was to go out and get the data by practically following the Delivery Boys day in and day out. We stood on the roadside. And I am telling you the real story. So, what I have personally done in the past 5-6 years. You stand on the roadside, count the number of vehicles which are being used for actual deliveries and who is using them and for what. So, I was standing on the roadside in Pondicherry; I was standing on the roadside in Bangalore, Mumbai and wherever I was going, and trying to understand. What is going on? What are people doing? One in every 25 vehicles is loaded, whether the task is personal or commercial,” explains Das. The insights followed. “How many Delivery Boys in the country? Take a wild guess. In a country of 140 crores, 17 lakhs is the number. What is the attrition rate of these Delivery Boys? 90%. The long service anniversary award for the Delivery Boys is 90 days. Most of these guys leave because it is exhausting and there is lack of labour dignity and things like that,” he adds.
Design and development
The 3DExperience platform played a pivotal role in optimising engineering processes and accelerating the creation of the Qargos F9. It has been designed, tested, validated and finally manufactured by leveraging SolidWorks, Enovia, Simulia and other applications of the 3DExperience Works portfolio from Dassault Systèmes.
“When we made our first sketch in 2019, at that point in time, it was done in SolidWorks. In 2021 we latched on to the 3DExperience platform. And we invested a lot of time and energy into the design side of it. So that – and specifically the simulation side of it – allowed us to reduce the number of iterations. Take a wild guess, how many iterations have we done on the entire chassis structure? Just one! Actually, the vehicle that you see over here is in fact the first F9 we ever built, based on all the analysis and simulation. The unified modelling and simulation, or MODSIM, approach offered by the cloud-based 3DExperience platform aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering the highest quality rider experience and performance in our revolutionary cargo vehicle platform,” informs Das.
For Dassault Systèmes, Qargos is not just another customer using its design and simulation platform. It is part of the company’s startup program. “We were looking to partner with young, passionate startups like Qargos, for whom time is everything. And it just happened to be a perfect time. Last year we were looking to pre-identify a customer who believes in simulation-driven design. Not just simulation, one who believes in building a digital twin. Everybody talks about it. But we have actually built a digital twin at Qargos, where you can test every possible scenario up front in the digital environment without the need of building a prototype. The first prototype that they built is the one that is at this event right now. Why did they get it right? Because they built several prototypes digitally, saving cost and time,” says Srikrishna Srinivasa Chittur, Worldwide Go-To-Market Leader at 3Dexperience Works Simulation Portfolio, who has worked closely with the Qargos team.
The way ahead
For Qargos, the role of the 3DExperience platform does not stop with the production of the vehicle. In fact it is going to extend for the design of the assembly facility, using the same platform, by first building a virtual factory before commissioning the actual plant, with a detailed design layout with things like where the workstations need to be placed, the heavy machinery, inventory, etc.
The Qargos team is not trying to build the vehicle all on its own. It has already tied up with several OEMs for the systems and components, having the vendor ecosystem in place. The 200Nm torque motor, a hub unit, is imported, and so are the controls. The battery is indigenously designed, tested and validated like all other components, but will be built with imported cells.
Das is optimistic about the market potential and the projected numbers, having already secured a large confirmed order of 500 units from a single customer, a
logistics company. While eCommerce is the obvious target, the real McCoy is Retail, which is many times more than eCommerce.
“How big is the retail industry? It is 1.5 trillion. How big is eCommerce? It will just be about 100 billion in India this year. 100 billion versus 1.5 trillion is a massive exercise. At the same time, let's talk about what is the consumer industry – milk, medicines, distribution of sweets during festival season – missed opportunities due to lack of effective delivery mechanism that is expensive in the first place. A huge market out there – MSMEs. For every MSME, the biggest problem is getting things across to logistics. First mile, last mile is the biggest problem. Nobody talks about it,” laments Das.
Patented in over 40 countries – there is interest from over a dozen countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa and some from Europe – the QARGOS F9 is set to revolutionise logistics operations by eliminating inefficiencies, boosting rider safety, and reducing operational costs by up to 90%. With over 500 product demonstrations and more than 30,000 miles of road testing, Qargos is not just launching a product but spearheading a revolution in logistics operations, paving the way for a sustainable and efficient future in urban delivery.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
For a deeper dive into the dynamic world of Industrial Automation and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), explore our comprehensive collection of articles and news covering cutting-edge technologies, robotics, PLC programming, SCADA systems, and the latest advancements in the Industrial Automation realm. Uncover valuable insights and stay abreast of industry trends by delving into the rest of our articles on Industrial Automation and RPA at www.industrialautomationindia.in