MIT's PEV Is An Autonomous Electric Bike That Will Decongest Cities Of Traffic

An autonomous bike called Persuasive Electric Vehicle (PEV) from MIT Media Lab is looking like a solution to the need of restructuring our mobility in urban centers. ¡°In many cities 40 percent of the land is occupied by cars,¡± says Kent Larson, Director of City Science, MIT Media Lab. The PEV is MIT¡¯s low-cost solution to this is a low-cost, shared-use .

The peculiar name comes from MIT Media Lab, a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Denso, a global automotive components manufacturer, as does the rest of the electric bike. Technically, it is a reverse trike, meaning two wheels at the front and a single wheel at the back.

The MIT team calls the PEV a ¡°healthy, convenient, sustainable alternative to cars.¡± It can be used as both an electrically assisted tricycle for passengers or an autonomous package delivery vehicle.

How does MIT's PEV work?

Persuasive Electric Vehicle

Before we get into the specifics of the vehicle, let us try to understand its working and hence its use-case. The MIT team imagines it as the following -

¡°a rider summons the PEV through a phone app, and the nearest available PEV arrives autonomously to meet the rider. Upon completing the trip, the PEV simply moves on to its next passenger or package pickup.¡°

So it is much like a regular electric bike ride sharing system. You book a ride and take the bike for your commute. Except an additional component is the autonomous technology in the PEV, that lets it move on its own. This addition also enables it to carry packages from one spot to another.

The PEV can even operate on its own when a rider is present. Or as deemed fit, riders can operate it themselves just like a bicycle or have an electric assist in the pedalling.

The way the PEV has been designed addresses a lot of issues connected with commuting. For one, it is a trike and not a bike, so even those not familiar with two-wheelers can ride it. Second, it can still be run in bike lanes, avoiding congestion on the go. Third, of course, it is electric and hence emission free.

The PEV specifications

PEV road testing autonomous drive on Mass Ave (Image: Jimmy Day)

According to the MIT team, the PEV weighs less than 50 kg and is powered by a 250W mid-drive electric motor that draws its power from a 10Ah battery pack. The claimed range of the electric trike is 40 km of travel per charge and its top speed is just above 30 kmph.

That, however, is not the highlight of the ingenious vehicle. As per the company, the PEV has four USPs - riders comfort, delivery services, pedestrian-to-vehicle communication and personal customization.

We know by now that it is capable of conducting delivery services. But how does it ensure comfort to a rider? Majorly through its ventilation systems in the window pillars, seat cushion as well as the seat back support. The system is able to both cool and heat the cabin, as per requirement. It even has built-in hot and cold storage for food deliveries.

For communicating with the passengers, the PEV uses ¡°a humanistic interface,¡± as mentioned by Core77 Design Awards 2020, an accolade that the vehicle has won. In addition, the PEV also supports facial recognition to adapt several settings as per the recognised user.

It is no wonder that the PEV can be seen as a holistic solution to the urban transportation problems. It is electric and hence clean. It does not need any learning or a driving experience as it can even drive itself, and it is equipped with the latest vehicle technology ranging from comfort to customisation.

And in case you would not like to ride it even after all this, it can follow you wherever you go with just your luggage in it.