Rob Verhofstad, chairman HAN Executive Board, unveiled a new innovative smart, clean and social research vehicle on Tuesday 13 September: the Opel Rocks-e. The project leaders/stakeholders involved HAN lecturer Intelligent Mobility Frans Tillema, Pieter Dekker (LEV Knowledge Centre) and Marith Dieker (lecturer researcher at HAN Automotive Research) were also present.

Smile from ear to ear

Automotive students from the Advanced Mobility minor immediately took a test drive in this Rocks-e on the morning that followed. You could see them looking: surely this is not a cool, fast vehicle that suits Automotive students…? After the test drive, they seemed to look differently at their preconceptions, because you saw them get out of the mini car with a smile from ear to ear. Most heard response: “Actually a cool vehicle, doing exactly what it is supposed to do!”

Powerhouse of Innovation

Not only Advanced Mobility minor students can get to work with this vehicle together with researchers from the HAN Automotive Research Lectorate and its affiliated LEV Knowledge Centre. Semester 6 students (both Automotive and Electrical Engineering) too. They can then present their findings at the annual Powerhouse of Innovation symposium.

Smart mobility

The Rocks-e is also very interesting for a graduation project. For instance, you can investigate to what extent the vehicle fits into the public perception of (the transition to) more smart, sustainable mobility. The research question could be: are people willing to switch to such a micro-car in private too? The Rocks-e can also incorporate ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) for testing, collecting data.

The Opel Rocks-e is a micro-car that therefore fits perfectly within smart mobility. This new type of transport vehicle is an example of LEV (Light Electric Vehicle) for inner-city passenger transport:

• Smart (electric and small)
• Clean (light and economical)
• Social (affordable for people with smaller wallets and anyone with a moped licence can drive it, which can increase mobility)

The Rocks-e already drives at low speed and can be driven from the age of 16.

Source: HAN Automotive Research
Photography: Erik Rijpstra