The next generation of designers from Coventry University, collaborate with Super Soco to explore new directions for moped designs.
The designers from Coventry University, in collaboration with Super Soco will bring innovation to moped designs. During the UK COVID 19 lockdown Master and Undergraduate students and tutors from Coventry University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities Automotive & Transport Design course took the opportunity to engage in a collaborative exploratory design project using virtual creative design process with Supersoco, the UK’s number one brand in electric motorcycles.
Led by Dr. Shaun Hutchinson & Aamer Mahmud at Coventry University and supported by Richard Jordan Super Soco CEO and Daniel Frost Senior Operations Manager at Super Soco, the students were given a Super Soco CPx frame and were asked to explore design opportunities that were forward thinking beyond the traditional of the well-known step through moped format. Thinking of a new generation of rider who were yet to discover the delights of motorcycling or had not considered a moped.
“Super Soco are delighted to be involved in this project at Coventry University. The road we are all taking towards greener, electric forms of transportation, include many obstacles that we need to overcome. The opportunity to look at where electric motorcycles can offer benefits and meet the rapidly evolving needs of the modern urban environments is really exciting. Super Soco is proud to be working with the next generation of future Automotive and Transport designers who will be at the forefront of our next generation transport needs.”
Daniel Frost, Senior Operations Manager at Super Soco
“Engaging with an industrial motorcycle company like Super Soco is an exceptional opportunity for students. It is crucial to enriching the education of young designers so they can understand the consequences of working in the commercial world. At Coventry University the Automotive and Transport Design department regularly engage with car companies and we would like to work more with motorcycle companies. Regarding urban mobility, I very much consider that smaller electric motorcycles are an essential and considerable part of the future of personal urban transport environments, the footprint is small to reduce congestion, the cost of ownership is lower, and EV powertrains are great for pollution and noise reduction and are highly efficient”.
Dr. Shaun Hutchinson, Coventry University
From the projects that were developed as part of this collaboration three student designs were shortlisted as favourites by Super Soco:
1st – Vivek Marathe. Project title: Tude
The project is based on two main terms, individualism and practicality. Options like sustainable canvas and biodegradable body parts are targeted at today’s youth that are seeking novelty. The main intent was to bring maximum utility such as storage, funk, delivery, commute, etc. while not compromising even slightly with the option of giving your personality to the vehicle.
2nd – Samuel Potts. Project title: Fun n Go
“I approached this project trying to design something with a fun and sci-fi inspired, with a distinct style. I looked at product design, and the industrial minimalism that is popular right now. I also wanted to take in the aspect of making it attractive to young people, to create a sense of culture that has been missing in the UK. The design I ended up with has a feature-piece front fairing, minimalist battery cover and “floating” seat, which I’m hoping creates the visual excitement and fun I wanted to achieve.
3rd – Sandeep Vasireddy. Project title: EN3 (Electric Neutral 3KWh)
The inspiration for this bike goes back to the mid-2000s, when I first saw a café racer on the road and fell in love with it. When I first started looking at the possibilities for the new moped based on the CPx chassis, I thought to myself, “Why not make a café racer out of it?”
The theme was kept minimal to appeal to Gen Alpha and Gen Z while retaining the characteristics of retro machines. To keep the traditional ambiance yet feel modern, I sought to combine the kinetics of a café racer with the lightness of a moped. The frame protruding from the centre accentuates the twin exhaust effect, while the battery leans outward for easy replacement. Some of the USPs include accessibility features such as a USB connector and a type C port for charging the phone on the move.
Coventry University
Automotive and Transport Design at Coventry University is an award-winning course which has been running for over 40 years and has a long history of achievement. Courses focus on automotive, transport and mobility design beyond merely illustration and styling. At Undergraduate level the course examine issues of autonomy, sustainability, ergonomics and the user experience and interaction in relation to exterior and interior design, surface and colour applications, lifestyle and future design solutions. At Postgraduate level the course develops a students advanced knowledge needed to function as critical and effective practitioners, and ensures they are able to demonstrate excellence in visual aesthetics and develop conceptual designs in and from two-dimensions into three-dimensions.
Source: Press Release | Automotive & Transport Design Coventry University