Projeto conceitual de um veículo elétrico de pequeno porte para o transporte urbano individual

Abstract

Mobility is part of the daily life of a large part of the population, especially those living in urban centers. This use makes this sector one of the main emitters of pollutants, in addition to consuming other fossil materials and emitting greenhouse gases (GHG). The combination of the need for the use of automobiles and their harmful effects on the environment makes research be directed towards the search for sustainable solutions in the sector, seeking greater efficiency and less impact on the environment. In the midst of this search, electric vehicles emerge as one of the possible solutions, as they do not emit GHG locally and are more efficient than conventional internal combustion engines. In this sense, this research sought to understand the aspects of technology and the market that bar the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, in addition to consumer needs, and then apply them to the conceptual design of a vehicle through a product design methodology. The project is divided into the planning phase, informational design and conceptual design. Customer requirements were sought in a systematic literature review about the Brazilian energy scenario and its ability to include electric vehicles in the fleet; as well as a review of aspects of electric vehicles that impede their adoption and how consumers have reacted to the technology. Customer requirements were evaluated according to the Mudge diagram and translated into project requirements, with defined metrics and forms of evaluation. The project requirements were evaluated using a QFD matrix, in order to obtain the relative importance of each project requirement and rank them according to how important they are to meet the customers' needs. With this, it is possible to determine the product specifications, with the target values for the design requirements, which ended the informational design and started the conceptual design phase. In this, the structure of product functions is decomposed and potential solutions were pointed out so that it is possible to generate different vehicle concepts. The resulting concept, after analysis according to the design requirements, describes a small vehicle intended for urban use only and with up to one passenger, covering the most common usage profiles in the country. Furthermore, the vehicle has small dimensions and a small battery pack, in order to be easily operated with a reduced cost, but that meets a routine displacement with ease. Finally, a modern design and in-vehicle monitoring and entertainment technologies are present as an attractiveness to the consumer, so that they do not feel that they are only contributing to the environment, but also purchasing a value-added product that delivers them experiences that the current generation of the Brazilian fleet. The results obtained show that this resulting concept is prepared to meet the needs of most consumers and be inserted in the market at the present time, intended for daily use in urban centers and helping to mitigate the adverse effects of the transport sector.