Steel is extending service life for the taxi and private hire vehicles of the future

The average taxi and private hire vehicle will do significantly more mileage than a personal automotive over its service life. This means that taxi and private hire vehicles can expect their vehicles to have a lower serviceable life expectancy than a personal transport vehicle. It’s essential that vehicles designed for the ride hailing and ride sharing industry are durable and are designed to extend the usage life and to make repair and maintenance cost-effective and efficient.

We are using High-Strength and Advanced High-Strength Steel technology to design durability into the Steel E-Motive vehicle. Steel has a number of properties that make it the ideal material to extend the useful life of the vehicle and to make service and maintenance cost-effective and efficient.

Steel chain link

What is vehicle durability and how is it tested?

Durability is the measure of the length of a vehicle’s lifespan. This includes how well it holds up to wear and tear and how easily the vehicle can be repaired and maintained if something goes wrong.

Vehicle durability tests subject the vehicle to the conditions and stresses that the vehicle will encounter during its operational lifespan. These include subjecting the vehicle to variations in loads and stresses. As well as testing the vehicle on various road characteristics and in different environmental conditions. It can also include for thermal shock, accelerated weathering and vibration testing.

The increased uptime required by taxis and private hire vehicles mean that these vehicles are under more stresses than the average personal vehicle on the road.

Why is vehicle durability important for taxi and private hire vehicles?

Vehicle durability and reliability are important for ride-hailing vehicles today for a number of reasons. The number of journeys that such a vehicle will make over its lifetime means that taxis and private hire vehicles are under more stresses than the average personal vehicle on the road.

As mobility-as-a-service vehicles become fully autonomous it will enable them to operate at all hours of the day. This means that we may see the need for ride hailing and ride sharing vehicles with useful lives of two to three times that of conventional vehicles. It is estimated that this level of utilization will place emphasis on developing vehicles with features that keep the vehicle in operational service for longer.

This will lead to a requirement for longer fleet uptime with a  need for vehicles to be operational for as long as possible. However, when a breakdown does occur then easy and efficient maintenance and repair will be essential for getting those vehicles back on the road.

Additionally, structural durability is particularly important for vehicle safety in the event of an accident taking place. Passenger safety is paramount for any transportation service vehicle on our roads, but particularly for fully autonomous vehicles which will be in an environment where they will be operating alongside conventional vehicles.

Developing a durable steel structure for Steel E-Motive

The Steel E-Motive program is designing a fully autonomous mobility-as-a-service solution which is will be able to serve around the clock as a ride hailing  or ride sharing service in peak times and can be configured for good delivery when there is less demand for public transport. Additionally, with our focus on safety, it’s essential that the Steel E-Motive vehicle design is durable and reliable.

WorldAutoSteel has significant historical data that supports the fact that steel contributes to extending vehicle service life, improving vehicle safety and reliability, and contributes to cost-effective maintenance and repair.

The use of galvanized steel in the body structure of the vehicle will contribute to a 15+ year vehicle lifespan. High-Strength and Advanced High-Strength Steels resist fatigue loading and cyclic failures which can affect alternative materials. In the event of a crash, steel has the ability to deform which is offset by its ability to be reconfigured through heating and body-shop repair practices, as well as its lower cost for part replacement.

Find out more about Advanced High-Strength Steels

Subscribe for updates

The Steel E-Motive vehicle concept is still in development. Sign up to be the first to hear about the latest developments from the program.

You might also be interested in

Steel is enabling stronger vehicle structures for improved crash safety

Advanced High-Strength Steels are strong, durable and ductile materials. They are enabling autonomous vehicle architectures which are safe, lightweight and sustainable. The Steel E-Motive program is using AHSS in the vehicle structure to protect passengers in the event of a crash scenario.

Steel is improving autonomous vehicles safety for passengers and road users

Autonomous vehicles are going to be a gamer changer for the Mobility as a Service industry. They will transform the way we get passengers and goods from A to B and improve access to on-demand convenient public transportation. However, studies show that consumers...

Steel is reducing life cycle emissions of autonomous vehicles

Autonomous vehicle technology is enabling the reduction of tailpipe emissions, but it isn’t enough to reduce the operational emissions of these vehicles. The use of steel in the manufacture of the Steel E-Motive vehicle concept is enabling us to produce a mobility solution which is sustainable across the full product life cycle, from manufacture through to end of life.

Total Cost of Ownership: Steel is lowering the total cost of running a ride-hailing fleet

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is one of the main concerns of any fleet operator, no matter what service they are providing. Mobility Service Providers need confidence that new mobility-as-a-service solutions will enable them to provide an excellent customer experience...

Steel is enabling the next generation of ride-hailing and ride-sharing services

Ride hailing and ride sharing are going to grow in demand as personal vehicle ownership continues to fall. Steel is enabling us to push the boundaries of what a mobility as a service vehicle can be. It is allowing us to meet consumer requirements for clean, affordable, safe, and sustainable transportation in our towns and cities.

Steel is making mobility as a service transportation more affordable

Affordable transport solutions are increasingly important for society. The Steel E-Motive program is developing an autonomous mobility as a service solution using steel technology to lower the upfront cost to fleet operators who can then offer affordable transport solutions to their customers.

Steel is meeting the requirements of Smart City transportation

Smart Cities require connected transportation network solutions which are s safe, sustainable, affordable and accessible. Steel E-Motive is using steel to develop our mobility as a service vehicle concepts to meet the challenges and requirements of future urban environments.

Steel is improving range, reducing costs and ensuring safety in battery electric vehicles

Autonomous vehicles for mobility as a service need batteries which enable safe, cost effective vehicle operation with maximum range and vehicle uptime. Steel E-Motive is using steel technology to meet the requirements of both fleet operators and their customers.

Steel is meeting the challenges of autonomous vehicle design for mobility as a service

Autonomous vehicles come with a unique set of vehicle architecture challenges that OEMs must overcome for a safe, comfortable and convenient passenger experience. The Steel E-Motive program is using Advanced High-Strength Steel technologies to meet these challenges