NEXA
Autonomy, Redefined
2023 | CONCEIVE, CONCEPT, CREATE, COMMUINCATE
INTRODUCTION
Autonomous Shuttle
Nexa is a conceptual design study, originally conceived as Avant’s annual industry collaboration projects with automotive design students at Coventry University. The project aimed to explore the vast opportunities enabled by autonomy in a compact passenger vehicle. The brief was straightforward: develop a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) autonomous electric personal mobility vehicle for shared use in 2050 as a global product.
COVENTRY UNIVERSITY
The initial phase of the project spanned eight weeks. During this period, two student teams received the brief and were tasked with producing four unique concepts, each offering a distinct interpretation of the brief. These concepts culminated in detailed polygonal models, which were later evaluated by both the students and the Avant Design team using virtual reality (VR) at our studio.
DESIGN
Following the successful completion of the term project, the Avant team selected one of the students from the most promising concept to join us as an intern. This student continued to develop the project further at our Leamington Studio. The final design embodies a futuristic vision of autonomous travel, with an interior designed to encourage conversation and interaction. It demonstrates that this often-overlooked sector can be as appealing and innovative as the more mainstream automotive landscape.
