The e-Miles Company joins DFactory with its revolutionary electric car prototype

• The prototype will be exhibited at DFactory, an initiative led by the Consorcio de la Zona Franca de Barcelona and Leitat that is scheduled to be opened this coming autumn.

• This heavy quadricycle can be driven without a license from the age of 16 with a joystick, opens up a new concept of urban mobility, sustainable and inclusive.

Barcelona, 23 September 2021. The e-Miles Company, a newly created Malena Engineering company, joins DFactory Barcelona to develop innovative projects and generate new mobility concepts based on sustainability, adaptability and efficiency. The e-Miles urban electric vehicle prototype, presented in mid-July, is a clear example of this new approach. That is the reason why it will be exhibited at the DFactory Barcelona facilities, the 4.0 Industry node powered by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona that has Leitat as a Technological Partner.

The Spanish company wants to establish its leadership through this revolutionary electric vehicle at a time when public administrations are going to prioritize, with European NextGeneration EU funds, various aspects related to sustainable mobility, especially R&D projects.

In this context, Leitat and the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona have contributed to produce this first prototype with the manufacturing of large parts in the IAM 3D Hub equipment. BASF Forward AM, has also contributed by supplying the necessary material for its printing

The e-Miles is a revolutionary electric propulsion heavy quadricycle that represents a new concept for urban mobility due to its dimensions (it is 2.5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide) and numerous technological innovations that make it unique. The e-Miles is called to redefine the way people move around the city centers. According to Mike Hastewell, head of The e-Miles Company, “this innovative electric vehicle will help solve major city problems such as parking, pollution, mobility of people with disabilities and last-mile delivery through 4.0 Industry technologies, such as 3D manufacturing, robotics, sensors, communication and artificial intelligence”.

The e-Miles is a cutting-edge solution for both individuals and companies, from car-sharing to last-mile transport. It include many technological solutions; It has a folding front gate that makes it possible to access to the interior even in a wheelchair, it can go from 2 to 4 seats by lengthening the chassis 37 centimeters automatically, it complies with the 30 km / h limit of the city center, it can be driven from 16 years of age without the need for a license and it is ideal for driving in any country, whether on the right or left side of the road.

Another big difference with respect to a conventional car is the absence of mirrors, which are replaced by two cameras, to monitor the environment and reproduce the images on the aforementioned front screen. What is more, it does not have a windscreen wiper, since the front glass has been made of polycarbonate, with a coating used in the aeronautical industry to repel water and dirt that can hinder vision.

The e-Miles prototype will be exhibited at the DFactory Barcelona headquarters as sample of cutting-edge technologies that serve to stimulate the initiative of new entrepreneurs and the ability to generate joint projects with large companies. In the words of Pere Navarro, special delegate of the State in the CZFB and president of the DFactory association, “DFactory’s will is to become a hub for the creation of an ecosystem to boost the promotion and development of 4.0 industry, which is essential to carry out sustainable mobility projects and initiatives. This center will be a tool to promote the transformation of the Spanish productive framework and will support companies in their digitization processes, which will generate new economic opportunities and quality jobs thanks to the spirit of collaborative R & D & I”.