The HOST project aims at developing an innovative modular transport mean suitable for the urbantransport of persons and goods. In order to fulfil simultaneously the objectives of extremely low CO2, gaseous and particulate pollutants reduction, within a medium term, the HOST consortium will produce multipurpose modular vehicle platforms capable to integrate, in an optimised and cost effective way, the most promising alternative fuel set and the newest combustion modes technologies. The possibility to easily vary the platform main dimension enables HOST to be equipped with very different bodyworks, which let the car manufacturer provide both private and public companies (i.e. municipalities or authorities for urban mobility) with new services for mobility and goods displacement in towns, organising in a sustainable and more rational way the urban motorised traffic. The HOST concept leads towards a decrease of the hybrid vehicle costs, thanks to its unique re-using characteristic, that enables the vehicle to be exploited for several missions, simply changing the (passengers, goods) cabin. HOST powertrain has a thermal-electric series hybrid configuration and the chassis houses all the powertrain components in shaped boxes. A full drive by wire solution will be adopted and the only mechanical connections between the cabin and the platform will be a specific designed mechanical anchorages system to secure them together. These solutions will allow the easy installation/removal of any cabin, giving the vehicle the best possible handling performances. A deep investigation of the possible cabins will be made. Passengers cabins will be studied under safety, aesthetic and ergonomic point of view. At the same time freight cabins will be studied to host the most advanced horizontal transhipment facilities, to make easy, fast and semi-automatic the transhipment of the pallets from the cabin to any warehouse, train wagon or loading unit and vice-versa (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E212343.
Abstract