Electric vehicle startup Arcimoto partnered with autonomous tech firm Faction Technology to develop D1, a next-generation driverless rapid delivery vehicle. With significant emissions reduction and improved customer service, the vehicle would provide a highly efficient solution for last mile deliveries.
Faction D1 is a vehicle that combines autonomy with remote human teleoperation. It has the same transmission as the Popular Fun Utility Vehicles (FUV) by Arcimoto, which means it can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h and has a range of around 160 kilometers (100 miles).
Fast deliveries: very, very fast
“Scalable driverless vehicle technologies require special engineering at the chassis level, which we can develop much more quickly with Arcimoto's cutting-edge platform,” says Faction CEO Ain McKendrick. “The end product will be a small, ultra-efficient driverless rapid delivery vehicle that pollutes less and costs less.”
In summary: more "tailored" dimensions of the vehicle, greater speed, will considerably increase efficiency, sustainability and versatility. In addition to general fleet use on demand, the cargo area can be customized for specific payloads and special applications.
Such solutions will offer significant cost savings, especially in fast deliveries on urban routes within a radius of 8 kilometers (5 miles). The service charges? They are estimated at less than 1 euro per kilometer (2 dollars per mile) for fast deliveries.
And safety? If these 'things' also start running...
Faction D1 is equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and safety systems – that should make me feel more at ease, I guess? In reality, the fact that the speed will be calibrated on the actual distance of the route makes me feel more at ease. 'Like these, they will run a little more in small clear sections or on ring roads, to slow down in urban areas.
However, there is little doubt: implementing ultra-efficient electric vehicles on a large scale for rapid deliveries will be a game-changer for last-mile logistics.
