Contrast this to a gated community, where mo-
bility is conveniently afforded by personal trans-
portation vehicles (PTVs), which a small, yet quite
accommodating for shopping, travel to gym or
pool, trips to the grocery store, and so on. As to
pollution and congestion, these issues are mini-
mized.
Mobilizing for the future—what vehicle types
will best the needs for mobility?
While gated communities offer worlds of efficien-
cy compared with a typical city center, that effi-
ciency centered around mobility, both stand to
improve their environment via a concept rapidly
gaining traction globally. That concept is “mo-
bility as a service”, or MaaS, as it is acronymized.
This is a concept of mobility that goes beyond
(but does not exclude) individual vehicle owner-
ship. Public transportation is a form of MaaS--
nothing new in this--but other concepts are, such
a ride sharing, on-call mobility, and shuttles.
Closely tied to the various versions of MaaS is
autonomous vehicle technology.
register, book, ride, and pay. Book a ride in the
Modally App and await the nearest OLLI to pick
you up and transport you to your destination.
LM Industries recently signed an agreement to
use and develop in-wheel electric motors, de-
signed by Proteon Electric. Protean Electric has
designed and developed a unique in-wheel elec-
tric drive system for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and
battery electric light-duty vehicles. The Protean
Drive® system can improve vehicle fuel economy,
add torque, increase power and enable improved
vehicle handling to both new and existing vehi-
cles.
I cite this example of new technologies that can
potentially refine and enhance mobility in a gated
community and, eventually, a metropolis like New
York or Atlanta. And what better place to test
and commercially operate this technology than a
gated community?
The fact is that autonomous vehicle technology is
exploding, virtually all of it the product of start-
up teams of young, electronics, software, and
mechanical engineers. And these start-ups are
being acquired right and left by the big boys in
the automotive field from vehicle manufacturers
to major parts and components suppliers.
What about golf cars (particularly PTVs) and
light portage and transport derivatives?
The Olli self-driving shuttle from LM Industries
Driverless shuttles are being currently tested on
college campuses and could fit well in the mobili-
ty environment of a gated community. LM Indus-
tries (stands for Local Mobility) has designed and
is testing a self-driving shuttle called Olli. Using
a LIDAR sensor and an integrated software/actu-
ator system, which responds to road conditions
and is the heart of the self-driving experience, the
Olli is beyond simple to use. Via an app, you can
Product advances in this industry are painfully in-
cremental, speaking of golf cars and their deriva-
tives. Truth be told (you are free to disagree with
me), there has been more new product devel-
opment by independent parts and components
suppliers to the golf car industry than by the golf
car manufacturers themselves. While this article
features a shuttle application, the technologi-
cal advances cited are quite adaptable to PTVs,
whether in an on-call fleet operated by the gated
community as a public service, or as individual-
ly-owned vehicles.
But I don’t expect these innovations to come
from Club Car, Yamaha, or E-Z-GO Textron. It
will be the start-ups, the innovators, that may
well source their vehicle component from the Big
Three, but then renovate that component in what
would be a radical makeover in the technology
and mode of use for small vehicles in the gated
community.
Contact Steve at [email protected].
Or check out our website at www.smallvehicleresource.
com, where you will find an extensive database of vehi-
cle models and can make side-by-side comparisons of
vehicles based on a full set of specifications.
MAY 2018
17