Latest news with #eQuad
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honda launches cargo e-bike delivery business
This story was originally published on Smart Cities Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Smart Cities Dive newsletter. Honda debuted a new business unit named 'Fastport' this week that will use cargo e-bikes to serve the last-mile delivery market in dense urban areas in North America and Europe. The automaker developed a modular, electric quadricycle it will use for deliveries. The vehicle, which can operate in bike lanes, will be manufactured in Ohio beginning later this year. Honda plans to work with delivery providers to offer the new Fastport service. 'Instead of just selling the vehicle itself, [Honda is offering] the entire support ecosystem: the batteries, the cargo box, the maintenance, the service, as well as the software,' Adam Elsayed, head of product at Fastport, an American Honda Motor Co. venture, said in an interview. Electric-powered cargo bikes can help reduce emissions and traffic congestion from truck deliveries. In recent years, several pilot programs have tried to increase their use with delivery hubs, three-wheel cargo bikes and larger bikes. Honda plans to work more holistically: 'We're dedicated to transforming the last-mile delivery space, and we plan to do that through what we're calling an ecosystem of hardware and software products,' Elsayed said. Since the bikes will operate on crowded city streets, they have safety features such as proximity sensors, a rear-view camera and automatic parking brakes, Elsayed said. The bike, which Honda is calling the Fastport eQuad, will be available in two sizes. Each will have a maximum speed of 12 mph; a canopy, vent fan and front enclosure are designed for rider comfort, the company says. The larger model can handle a payload up to 650 pounds; the smaller model can handle 320 pounds. The bike's software can be updated over the air. The eQuad's swappable batteries are also a Honda product, its mobile power pack. Each bike carries two 1.3-kilowatt-hour batteries, Elsayed said, with a range of up to 23 miles, depending on payload, for the larger vehicle. Honda calls its Fastport business model 'fleet-as-a-service,' which it will be selling to business customers. Honda said it is speaking with 'major logistics and delivery companies' in North America and Europe about pilot programs, but it did not reveal any names. Elsayed said the company is 'mainly focused on parcel and food delivery' for the initial rollout. Fastport was the brainchild of the Honda New Business Innovation Lab at American Honda Motor Co. in Torrance, California. The Fastport eQuad will be produced at the Honda Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, which the company describes as a small volume, specialty manufacturing facility. 'We believe that [the Fastport eQuad is] more advantageous than a van and more capable than an e-bike,' Elsayed said. 'If we get these on the road, we may be able to replace some of those larger vans, and we think that will be a benefit for the city.' Recommended Reading NYC launches 'microhub' pilot to reduce truck delivery congestion, pollution
Car and Driver
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Your Packages Could Soon Be Delivered By Honda's Electric Quadricycle
Honda has announced a new business, Fastport, that will start building the eQuad delivery vehicle later this year. The electric quadricycle is designed for last-mile delivery and features swappable batteries that take less than 30 seconds to change. The eQuad has a range of up to 23 miles and features a modular chassis that can be adapted to the needs of each business. Honda has always been more than just a car company. The Japanese manufacturer got its start assembling motorcycles and has dabbled in everything from lawnmowers and motorized tillers to jet-powered airplanes and outboard boat engines. Now, Honda is venturing into another vehicular realm with Fastport, a new business that will produce an all-electric quadricycle that can fit in a bike lane and is aimed at last-mile delivery. Honda Fastport's first product is the eQuad, a narrow four-wheeled contraption that is operated like a bicycle and features a large storage box behind the rider. Honda says the eQuad is designed to "help address urban congestion and rising consumer demand for faster, more frequent deliveries." The eQuad is designed to travel in bike lanes, appearing to just squeeze into the painted lines in the photos we have of the quadricycle traveling in New York City. Honda does note, however, that the eQuad's ability to drive in bike lanes will be dependent on local regulations. The eQuad will be offered in two sizes and with two cargo box sizes, in order to meet the needs of different businesses across both Europe and North America. The smaller eQuad is 133.9 inches long, 82.7 inches tall, and 39.4 inches wide, while the larger eQuad measures 144 inches long, 84 inches tall, and 48 inches wide. Honda says the eQuad's modular design allows it to be easily customized for the specific use case of the business. The small cargo container's length/width/height is 75 by 57.5 by 38.4 inches, while the bigger box's dimensions are 89 by 47.9 by 60 inches. In its larger configuration, the eQuad has a payload of 650 pounds; the smaller eQuad can carry up to 320 pounds. Honda Motivation comes from the Honda Mobile Power Pack (MPP), an easily swappable battery that we first experienced on Honda's eGX go-kart in 2023. Honda didn't provide detailed specifications for the MPP, but when we drove the eGX, Honda said that each battery had a 1.3-kWh capacity. Honda didn't specify how many batteries the eQuad uses, but the eGX kart features two MPPs, and the images of the prototype appear to show room for two batteries. In our experience with the eGX, swapping in a new fully charged battery took less than 30 seconds. The powertrain is described as "pedal-by-wire pedal-assist," and the eQuad also features regenerative braking. The eQuad can travel up to 12 mph, regardless of the configuration, and Honda quotes a range of up to 23 miles for the larger version. A range estimate for the small model is not yet available. Honda While the eQuad is essentially a bike with four wheels, Honda also added a couple of amenities for rider comfort. The eQuad's canopy has a UV coating and a ceramic tint option to shield the rider from the sun, while a ventilation fan helps the rider stay cool. The prototype also appears to feature a headlight and a camera-based rearview mirror. Fastport will also provide a "Fleet-as-a-Service" (FaaS) platform that not only includes the swappable batteries and cargo containers but also service and maintenance plans and real-time data for driver and fleet management. The eQuad will be capable of over-the-air software updates. The Fastport eQuad prototype will make its in-person debut at Eurobike in Frankfurt, Germany, next week. Honda aims to deliver the first units in late 2025 before mass production gets underway in the summer of 2026. The eQuad will be built at Honda's Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, where it previously built the Acura NSX and currently assembles the CR-V e:FCEV hydrogen SUV. Honda says that Fastport is already in discussions with major logistics and delivery companies in North America and Europe for use in pilot test programs. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Motor Trend
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Honda's New Electric Delivery Quadricycle Has Swappable Batteries, Fits in Bike Lanes
The business of delivering goods is a vast and complex one, and is only made more complicated by dense, urban spaces where demand is high and streets are tight. Enter the Fastport eQuad, a new, all-electric quadricycle from a new subsidiary of Honda. Though just a prototype for now, the eQuad is designed with urban congestion in mind and will offer a variety of features and sizes to fit the challenges of last-mile delivery. Honda's Fastport eQuad is a new electric quadricycle for urban deliveries, featuring swappable batteries, customizable cargo sizes, and bike lane compatibility. It offers a max speed of 12 mph and will debut at Eurobike 2025, with deliveries starting late this year. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next Fastport is Honda's B2B business and micromobility arm. On Tuesday, it announced its first product will be the eQuad, which is the vehicle delivery drivers will use to get your goods to you in a more efficient and safer way. This quadricycle prioritizes rider comfort, the company claims, as Honda's own engineering in the chassis design should return a comfortable ride, even over rough city blocks. That's fine, but the rest of the driver-comfort list is far from the sort of basic amenities you might find in, say, any modern Honda passenger vehicle. Delivery people, get excited for a full-frontal enclosure for protection against the elements, a ventilation fan, and a UV-coated canopy with a ceramic tint option. Maybe pay less attention to the (arguably efficient, for getting in and out quickly) otherwise open-air cockpit. Swappable rechargeable batteries will theoretically cut down on time spent waiting to charge back up again. Plus, an all-electric setup means no additional noise or emissions pollution. There's a pedal-by-wire pedal-assist powertrain, as well as automatic parking brakes and regenerative braking. Both small and large cargo box container sizes will be offered, depending on regional needs. Vehicle length can also be customized, which means customers can load a variety of goods like groceries, parcels, or small packages. The eQuad can also fit in bike lanes, which should reduce traffic congestion (at least for cars, maybe not, um, bikes). Two sizes will be offered. The small eQuad is approximately 11 feet long, just shy of 7 feet tall, and 3 feet wide, while the large model is approximately 12 feet long, 7 feet tall, and 4 feet wide. The small cargo box is approximately 6.3 feet long, 4.8 feet tall, and 3.2 feet wide; the largo cargo box is roughly 7.4 feet long, 5 feet tall, and 4 feet wide. Maximum payload for the small version is 320 pounds and 650 pounds for the large, and at maximum payload capacity, the large can travel up to 23 miles. No word yet on the range for the small. Both versions can travel up to a maximum speed of 12 mph. That's not all. The eQuad will also be equipped with software-defined platform features like maintenance and service plans, AI-powered dashboards to help with driver and fleet-management operations, and over-the-air software updates. Honda plans to debut its prototype at the Eurobike 2025 event in Frankfurt, Germany, at the end of June. No pricing was announced at this time, though deliveries of the first edition models are slated to start late this year. A full rollout is expected to happen next summer. At least in the case of a place like New York City, this is good news. Last-mile truck use has long plagued city streets and only increased in recent years due to the rise in e-commerce. Residents are fighting againstdangerous truck traffic, toxic air quality, and noise. Electric cargo bikes like the eQuad are the way forward. An update to the Department of Transportation's cargo bike rules in March 2024 now allows for freight deliveries to be executed by "pedal-assist electric cargo bicycles up to four feet wide, with four wheels and up to [16 feet long] long (with trailer)," Streetsblog New York City reported. This is "up from the original 120-inch limit that would have barred the existing fleets from Whole Foods and Amazon." Furthermore, the rules also establish new curb regulations: a "Commercial Bicycle Loading Only" zone to allow dedicated space at the curb for cargo bikes to load and unload goods." The eQuad's range might run into issues in bigger and more sprawling cities, but in immediate downtown areas, they're likely to be a favorable mobility solution.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Check Out This Cool Delivery Vancycle Thing Honda Is Building
Honda gets into the urban delivery game with the funky, boxy eQuad. The last-mile box vanscycle is all-electric, with swappable batteries, regenerative braking, and OTA updates. Pricing should be out closer to its launch in 2026. Package delivery has become a huge business, with Amazon vans everywhere and thousands of folks squirting through city streets on scooters with insulated square boxes on the back delivering who knows what to who knows where. Honda sees this as an opportunity. The company that makes everything from weed whackers to Formula 1 engines and all things in between will enter the micromobility business by the end of the year. At a ginormous trade show in Frankfurt called Eurobike, Honda announced the establishment of Fastport, which it called 'a new B2B business dedicated to transforming the last-mile delivery industry with innovative micromobility solutions.' It also unveiled Fastport's first product in prototype form, the funky, boxy eQuad, shown here. 'This all-electric quadricycle delivery vehicle, designed for use in bike lanes, enables companies to enhance their urban logistics operations with speed, efficiency and reliability,' the company said. It'll be all-electric, and powered by Honda Mobile Power Pack (MPP) swappable batteries and software-defined vehicle (SDV) features like service and maintenance plans, along with AI-powered dashboards with real-time insights that enhance driver and fleet-management operations. It also sports regenerative braking, automatic parking brakes, a canopy with UV coating and a ceramic tint option, and even a ventilation fan and full-frontal enclosure. And check out that four-wheel independent suspension. Are those coil springs? Maximum payload is 650 pounds, with a top speed of 12 mph and 'up to' 23 miles range. But when the battery dies, just swap it out for a new one. The cargo box can be ordered in up to 89 inches long, 60 high, and 47.9 wide. No price was mentioned. The Fastport is intended for use on bike paths, which some cities have and some don't. San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area, Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, and even New York have bike paths or lanes. A lot of cities don't. (I'm looking at you, Las Vegas.) Trying to squeeze a 47.9 inch-wide big box through some city streets could be a challenge. For comparison, something the size of a Vespa scooter typically used for food delivery is about two and a half feet wide, or a foot and a half narrower than the Fastport. But a Mercedes Sprinter van is almost eight feed wide, so you could get three Fastports in the width of a Sprinter. Ah, math. The Fastport eQuad will be produced at the Honda Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Ohio, a small volume, specialty manufacturing facility using domestic and global parts. Since opening in 2016, the PMC has been responsible for production of the Acura NSX supercar, multiple Acura PMC Edition vehicles, and the CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell electric vehicle, as well as Honda Performance Development race cars. Look for them in early 2026, Honda says. Pricing TBA. Will this thing succeed? Tell us what you think in the comments section.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honda dips its toes in cargo delivery micromobility
Walk around a big city like New York or Amsterdam long enough and you're bound to notice something: tiny four-wheeled cargo carriers zipping down bike lanes. These battery-assisted vehicles, often called e-quads, are distinct from cargo e-bikes, which tend to be geared toward households. E-quads are larger and sport enclosed cargo holds, making them a darling of delivery companies, including Amazon and UPS, allowing them to sidestep congestion that bogs down regular box trucks. Now, Honda is offering its own take on vehicle type, the Fastport eQuad. The eQuad comes in two sizes built on at the same basic platform, small and large. Both are smaller than the smallest Mini Cooper, but can carry between 320 to 650 pounds. They have pedals, and their top speed is limited to 12 mph (20 kph), both requirements to keep them bike lane legal. To keep the eQuad trucking, Honda is using its Mobile Power Pack batteries. The 22-pound batteries can be swapped for a fresh pack much like Gogoro or Zeno. By grabbing the build-in handle, drivers (or riders?) can drop them into a caddy located just behind and below cockpit. Inside the cockpit, drivers have the usual bike seat, pedals, and windscreen. A display helps the driver stay on route. Based on the number of mentions in the press release, Honda really wants this to be considered a software-defined vehicle, which it says will over 'continues value and improvements over the vehicles lifetime,' though it doesn't specify what those are. U.S.-bound eQuads will be built at the Honda Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. For the craftspeople who work there, the trundling eQuad will be a very different assignment. Previously, they were best known for hand assembling the second-generation Acura NSX, a 500-plus horsepower supercar capable of 191 mph. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
