A four-wheel micromobility vehicle under 50 kg, from vision to prototype design

Benchmarked competitor vehicles of 100 to 200 kg, mapped architecture and drivetrain options, and checked packaging before any detailed design, so no concept died late.

Built the suspension geometry in Lotus and Adams Car, tuning camber gain, motion ratios and roll-centre height. Bump steer is zero by geometry: the tie rod matches the lower wishbone's length and pivot axis.

A hybrid of the wishbone and McPherson layouts: the lower wishbone takes the side and fore-aft loads, and the damper, free to rotate at both ends, carries axial force only, so off-the-shelf bicycle dampers do the job.

A clean-sheet steering knuckle and joints, and a brake package designed as part of the corner. A belt drivetrain configurable as front-, rear- or four-wheel drive from one layout.

Knuckle, hub, rotor, caliper, disc adaptors and drive axle designed and checked in FEA for stress and fatigue life.

A linked performance model in three sheets: cornering speed, stopping distance, motor power, top speed and gradient capability for each drive layout. Change any input and every output follows.

Twelve separate design calculators, from the load cases to every part's safety factor.

Complex 3D suspension mounts redrawn as laser-cut and bent sheet metal to cut production cost. Belt routing settled with the drive supplier, bearings chosen against life and friction calculations, fabricators sourced.

Two years on a three-person team. Trade-offs of weight, cost, complexity and performance put to the founder in business terms.

Delivered production-level drawings and the bill of materials, with every part's weight tracked against the vehicle's.