A Comparative Study on Material Selection for Designing an Electric Last Mile Vehicle for Parcel Delivery
Abstract
Mobility and contamination are two major issues that affect expanding cities. Therefore, there is a need to assess the development of products that fulfill transportation needs while simultaneously reducing environmental impact. This paper presents a comparative study on the use of steel, aluminum, PLA, HDPE and PC, as part of the design process for a last mile vehicle. This vehicle was developed in collaboration with a parcel company, as a response to Mexico City’s urban space problems, such as heavy traffic and lack of parking spots, which leads to delayed deliveries. The prototype was built using steel as the main material; however, the goal of the sustainable assessment was to identify other possible materials which could be used for the structural and case system of the vehicle. The results of this paper could be extrapolated to other products, in order to select materials that show similar levels of performance, while simultaneously reducing the impact on the environment.