Electric Mobility/Container Design Principle

Application of the container design principle to electric mobility can be compared to the application of container in logistics in comparision to classical trucks.

A spine car with a 20 ft tank container and an open-top 20 ft intermodal shipping container with canvas cover.

Office in Containers: A temporary bank branch built from shipping containers in Germany

Containers are used for cargo. Application of electric mobility separates the propulsion unit (engine,...) from the container space with people and luggage.

Learning Task

• Explain why the intermodal transport of goods with a standard container size is efficient?
• Imagine, you put the interior of a car in stackable container with the same standardard drivers are used to from the car they own. Why is the efficient concept of containers for freight difficult to transfer to vehicles transporting people? (style, intermodal change time, acceptance of users, approaching with "container" instead of a "fancy car", ...)
• Explain the benefits of container design in Disaster Management!
• Electric Mobility has as main limitation the price and capacity of batteries (in 2017). Rapid exchange of units (e.g. batteries) is one challenge. Explain what are similarities and difference between changing a battery and the changing the underlying vehicle in a intermodal transport system?

See also

• Intermodal Container: Moving Goods in an intermodal way: Ships, trains, trucks
• Shipping Containter Architecture: Temporary Offices: easy to move on demand.
• Shipping Container Clinic: Temporary Clinic: rapid setup for Disaster Management (Response in Risk Management)