At the SAE 2011 World Congress in Detroit, MBtech shows a 1:4-scale Reporter pickup truck concept that it designed and developed with an innovative drivetrain. Engineering highlights of the concept, according to David Sobeus, Project Manager of the Reporter, are “the DualX E-Drive concept drive; another one would be the platform, the body-in-white concept with several different materials and technology within it; and another one is the solar module, which is divided into two parts—the roof module and the mobile solar top.”
The cost-effectiveness of the concept is also emphasized by the company. “A very good example for cost-effectiveness is the DualX E-Drive concept,” said Juergen Kiehne, President, MBtech NA LLC & MBtech ATP LLC. “Instead of heavy, huge, and expensive batteries, we have minimized the batteries for non-emissions mobility within city and suburban range. The combination between a downsized and very efficient combustion engine together with an intelligent e-drive system provides the complete range of mobility or zero-emission driving based on consumer needs at a certain moment.”
The company says that the study is both functional and feasible, the futuristic four-seat pickup showcasing MBtech’s range of engineering and consulting competencies. Because of its modular setup, the Reporter can be further developed, with MBtech envisioning a whole range of possible variants in alignment with a customer’s requirements.
The first viewing of the Reporter was in September 2010 at the 63rd IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover, there shown as a 1:1-scale, see-through model. The company’s designers began work on the concept six months before Hanover from a “clean sheet of paper.” The full-vehicle development and calculation (digital prototype) team was tasked with finding the ideal packaging. The next step consisted of virtual testing. Simulations were performed for flow, multibody, and rigidity optimization.
“A digital prototype and CAD have become essential parts of our work; they help our customers save time and money,” said Hartmut Tresp, President MBtech Group. MBtech’s body-in-white team faced the major challenge of determining the right technology and material mix. The result is the design of a modular framework that demonstrates a broad spectrum of manufacturing processes, from aluminum die casting, which replaces 37 individual parts on the Reporter’s main chassis beam unit, to aluminum shell construction and extruded aluminum profiles, to carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic for the B-pillar.
The concept was developed primarily as an invitation to initiate discussions among teams and customers about future technologies and mobility concepts.
