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Sign upAugust 11, 2024
Courmayeur City Municipality
Courmayeur
The experimental service introduced by NExT offers a cutting-edge solution for sustainable mobility: PODs, modular electric vehicles, operated on demand by reservation with a QR code from August 11 to 18. These vehicles provided access to road sections otherwise closed to vehicular traffic, such in Val Ferret and in Val Veny. During the winter, from December 26 to January 6, POD NExTs will continue to serve the community, integrating with the existing free public transportation system. Vehicles will run in the Villair - Dolonne area and along the Larzey Entrèves road to the entrance of the cross-country trails in Planpincieux. Based on the results of this initial prototypical service the full modular service will be implemented starting by summer 2025. The case study attached refers to the scale implementation substituting one bus line (City center - Val Ferret) using 4 NEXT pods per each current diesel citybus. Calculations are based on the real consumption data gathered in the prototypical service period above mentioned. The peculiar touristic scenario is particularly optimal for Next because the passengers demand fluctuation is very significant, therefore the modularity of Next pods can adapt to the demand leading to a massive reduction of fuel/energy costs. This data is even more significant due to the road grading typical of mountains, in fact the contribution of moving an empty bus (useless bus mass) is even more impacting the overall consumption.
Over a four-month season, each bus line with Next e-pods achieves a CO₂ emissions reduction of 155 tons, translating to a remarkable 88% decrease in CO₂ equivalent emissions. Over a 15-year vehicle lifespan, this results in 6,958 tons of CO₂ saved per bus line. Fuel and energy costs also drop significantly, offering a 76% savings compared to diesel buses, which amounts to €53,979 per season for each bus line (considering three diesel buses versus twelve Next e-pods with equivalent passenger capacity). Financially, the investment in Next e-pods reaches a breakeven point within 2.6 years, with total lifetime savings estimated at €2,009,038 per bus line over 15 years. This shift not only supports sustainability but also delivers substantial cost efficiency.
NEXT is a modular vehicle that could be considered as the "Stem Cell of Transportation" It could behave as a shared car or as a taxi but also as a bus, last-mile delivery van, a truck for long distances, or an interchange hub for passengers and goods without outdoor transhipment. NEXT is also an advanced smart transportation system based on swarms of modular electric vehicles. Each module/vehicle can join and detach with other modules on standard city roads. When joined, they create an open, bus-like area among modules, allowing passengers to stand and walk from one module to another. Modularity allows"en-route-transfer", that optimizes system capacity, cuts cost and traffic, and increases ubiquity and comfort for the passengers.
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