Tata Motors has recently filed a patent for an autonomous self-driving concept vehicle to reform connectivity by transporting both goods and passengers. Christened the Tata YU, this concept vehicle has been developed in six months at Strate School of Design, Bangalore bringing together the ideas of designers Ansuman Mallik and Atmaj Verma under the mentorship and guidance of Tata Motors and Design School experts namely Ajay Jain (Tata Motors), Edmund Spitz (HOD of the Transportation Design, Strate School of Design, Bangalore), and Thomas Dal (Dean, Strate School of Design Bangalore).
Design
The Tata Yu concept, which is a compact one, measuring 3,700 mm long, 1,500 mm wide, and 1,800 mm high, uses hub-mounted electric motors, and further details on battery capacity and range are yet to be disclosed.
Transportation
Cargo Transport:
The central part of the vehicle is used for the e-commerce segment, which helps carry product boxes of different sizes. The vehicle can pick up these boxes directly from warehouses and are also provided with an automatic sorting system helping to allocate deliveries to their respective destinations according to their priority.
Passenger Transport:
The back end of the vehicle can seat a maximum of two passengers. To do this, passengers will have to use an app specifically created for this, in which they can input their destination data. If the Tata Yu vehicle is on its way to the passenger's location, he/she can book a ride, which is what we know as a taxi service.
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Delivery Options
Automated Transfer Systems:
With specially equipped auto systems called "bridges" in place, Tata Yu promotes the direct deposit of packages, hence not a waste of time for the customer.
Gig Economy Integration:
Moreover, the software is connected with gig workers who take on the delivery tasks through the app. These workers obtain the parcels from the vehicle in the marked stops and carry out the final delivery.
Every delivery they complete they get a commission for their services.
Tata Yu is just a concept at the moment but still signifies that Tata Motors has already made a case for what can be done with innovative thinking. A timeline of 2030 or beyond is forecasted for the concept model to reach the production stage before the Tata Yu gets commercialized.