Design and validation of an electrically assisted modular attachment demonstrator for lightweight cycles

Sustainable transportation solutions are essential for enhancing resource efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Significant contributions to this goal have been made by the cycling sector by increasing its presence in urban areas logistics. The primary means for this increase is the usage of cargo cycles. There are numerous advantages associated with it, such as: high versatility, functionality without emissions, lightweight build, and the ability to travel through areas in which conventional vehicles are prohibited. This paper reports the process of designing an experimental demonstrator for an electrically assisted attachment that can be used to convert most cycle vehicles into cargo variants. The attachment is designed to overcome one of the major drawbacks of traditional cargo cycles, namely the lack of modularity. This implies that users previously had to transport the empty cargo area even when not actively involved in delivery tasks. By removing the attachment, the user can convert the cycle for personal use. However, when required, the attachment can be added which, together with the electrical assistance system, can increase delivery efficiency. The paper aims to present the development process of the three-dimensional model of the attachment using computer-aided design techniques, highlighting the universal coupling mechanism and variable storage space. Additionally, vehicle dynamics simulations were performed to evaluate the stability of the system during operation and to ensure the validity of the proposed design.