VW Group’s MOIA mobility startup has revealed a
six-seater electric minibus concept specifically made for ride pooling. The new
concept was presented at the 2017 TechCrunch in Berlin just one year after its
inception, featuring standalone seats with plenty of legroom and things like
dimmable reading lights, USB ports and of course WiFi for the passengers.
Luggage can be stored next to the driver while the
automated door and optimized handlebar make getting in and out of the car
easier. No technical details were revealed, apart from a driving range of 300km
(186 miles) and the ability to recharge up to 80 percent of its battery in 30
minutes.
MOIA’s entire “ecosystem” is scheduled to launch in
Hamburg, Germany at the end of 2018, including the new electric minibus. The
goal is to replace 1 million cars on European and U.S. cities by 2025. The
first fleet of vehicles in Hamburg will start out with 200 cars and scale up to
1,000 in the coming years.
The new ride-pooling service will work through a
mobile application, similar to what other services are doing –including Uber.
The app will tell you which cars are available and how much the ride will cost
before you book a trip. MOIA will group passengers with similar destinations
together through a special algorithm, in order to increase the capacity of each
car and avoid detours.
