B–ON, the global clean mobility provider, and Mobility in Harmony (MIH), the worldwide open ecosystem for electric vehicles (EVs), announced today that they will develop their partnership to provide shared solutions for fleet customers.
Under this partnership, B–ON’s next-generation ‘Pelkan’ 100% electric light commercial vehicle (eLCV) and smart package dispenser technology will complement MIH’s last mile delivery and software solutions, and B–ON’s ‘ElectrOS’ electrification services offering will collaboratively integrate to enhance the fleet electrification experience.
The announcement came live today on the MIH exhibitor space at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. The Pelkan EV show car, equipped with B–ON’s ergonomic and time-saving smart package dispenser, was exhibited there for the first time today, and will be on display to the public through the close of the show. The full worldwide debut of the 100% electric light commercial vehicle is planned to take place at CES in January, in anticipation of its introduction in 2024.
B–ON’s Pelkan is a long range electric light commercial vehicle designed for urban last mile delivery. Cost-competitive, ergonomic, and connected to the company’s proven operating system, the vehicle is expected to be available from 2024 in both 43 and 54 kWh battery variants.
The Pelkan eLCV shown at JMS is equipped with a prototype of B–ON’s smart package dispenser technology. The GPS-controlled smart system removes the need to sequence items when loading and shortens drop time by automatically detecting the correct package at each delivery address. Outgoing and return packages can be added to the system at any customer location. Smart Dispenser’s ergonomic design is optimised for access height and easy shelf reach, while kerbside-only access ensures safety. B–ON estimates that the Smart Dispenser saves time on each delivery thanks to faster parcel loading and retrieval, and therefore cost costs. The smart dispenser will be available both as an optional add-on to the Pelkan or as a separate add-on to be fitted to other vehicles, starting from Q2 2024.
“At B–ON, our goal is to create more SPACE in cities by making fleets, vehicles and their drivers the most productive for fast growing commercial transportation,” said Bruno Lambert, CEO of B–ON. “And there is simply no way that any one player in this industry can bring that reality to life alone. MIH’s open platform approach is a critical development for meaningfully moving our transportation systems forward. I predict that this is only the beginning of a much larger symbiotic cooperation between us.”
Mobility in Harmony (MIH) is an open EV development platform initiated by multinational electronics manufacturer Foxconn, officially established in 2021 and including software giants like Microsoft.
“MIH and B–ON are strongly aligned in our shared vision for shaping the future of urban mobility through EVs, cutting-edge software, and service innovations that enhance productivity for B2B customers,” said Jack Cheng, CEO of MIH. “We are eager to explore synergies and maximise business opportunities harnessing the strengths of each other’s products and services in this rapidly evolving space.”
