Exterior design of a bigger, faster, stronger last-mile delivery vehicle for Picnic Technologies

Abstract

Picnic is an online supermarket currently operational in the Netherlands and Germany. Groceries are ordered from an app and delivered to the customer using a last-mile delivery vehicle. This last-mile delivery vehicle is currently used for densely populated cities and works well enough to support the current number of deliveries. However, this specific current last-mile delivery vehicle can not access all households in the Netherlands. This is because its speed is limited to 50 km/h and can only carry a limited amount of cargo. In order to expand and reach new households, Picnic is looking for a new last-mile delivery vehicle. Having started a joint venture with VDL and TNO, Picnic is looking to design and build their very own last-mile delivery vehicle that is purpose built for their needs. They are looking to become bigger, faster and stronger on the roads. Increasing the vehicle speed to 80 km/h and carrying more cargo allows them to reach the households that are currently out of the geographic scope. Having a vehicle that can reach those extra households would significantly increase their customerbase and consequently market share in the supermarket space. With the opportunity to build a purpose specific vehicle, they also have the opportunity to control the aesthetic of the vehicle. Picnic relies heavily on their brand image and identity as a means of differentiation from their competitors. Therefore translating their brand assets to the vehicle will give them a stronger brand presence in the consumer environment. Having identified the raison d’etre of the vehicle, reaching new households in less densely populated areas, research was carried out to find different design cues and assets that could be leveraged in the exterior design of the new vehicle. The result of this was that the new vehicle had to look quirky, friendly and electric. Accompanying these terms was a design vision also derived through research and in talking to the relevant stakeholders. “Design a next generation company icon, to remain a local hero”. Using this input, the sketchphase was conducted with a funnel approach. Creating a broad spectrum of different designs and options that were in accordance with the design vision and form language derived from the research. Through method of elimination with the input from the different stakeholders, the sketchphase reached a point of maturity, which consequently yielded a final design. This final design satisfied all the requirements derived from the research and embodied the Picnic aesthetic while remaining functional for the runners. This final design was thereafter iterated once more and presented using renders from a CAD model along with detailed renders of key features and elements of the design. That is the final phase of the project and the culmination of the efforts documented in this report. Further recommendations are also included at the end of this report. They aim to develop the sophistication of the design to the point that it is ready for VDL and TNO to create a proposal for the next steps required to take the design to a first prototype.