In a world where people are becoming increasingly intolerant of city traffic jams, not to mention the noise and pollution they bring, new solutions for urban mobility are being welcomed and celebrated. Ideas are popping up left, right, and center, but one particularly inspired product comes from Fajar Ismail, a designer based in Indonesia, who has created a concept for a spacecraft-inspired scooter that he simply calls “STELLAR.”
What is STELLAR?
In simple terms, STELLAR is a solar-powered electric scooter designed to cover short and medium distances in urban environments. Its designer hails from tropical Indonesia, and admits that the best application for his technology would be similar climates where the sun shines strongly for much of the day and most of the year.
Ismail based his design on the Quest Atom Alpha EV chassis, and when you compare the two you can see the clear inspiration of the design. The main point of differentiation is the solar panel mounted to the front end of the chassis in STELLAR that helps charge the 240-Wh battery. The vision is of a busy city packed with people who are on the move all day, and those who rely most on smoothly getting from A to B would be those most likely to ride STELLAR.
Space-age design
STELLAR isn’t just spacecraft-like in name, but also in design. The body design is made using lightweight aluminum sheets in a layered geometry. It almost looks as though you could fold STELLAR’s chassis away and hang the bike on the wall. At the front and rear are sturdy Maxxis tires, and underneath is the undercarriage cargo hold, complete with footpegs.
The rider also gets a more futuristic riding experience thanks to the digital instrument gauge at the front, which sits atop a well-bolstered dual springer fork, and dual headlights. Finally, a springer seat allows for maximum comfort as the rider cruises seamlessly through city streets to get to wherever they’re going without breaking a sweat.
Benefits of STELLAR
Fajar Ismail knows his local market well, and understands what emerging economies and urban environments in tropical regions of the world really need. The first benefit of STELLAR, should it be able to move beyond concept stage, is an affordable, easy to build and maintain, emissions-free method of urban mobility for growing numbers of city-dwelling blue- and white-collar workers.
Fewer vehicles choking the limited roads in these countries will not only ease congestion, but cut down on air pollution, and hopefully help to boost the overall respiratory health of citizens living in these environments.
Furthermore, STELLAR as a concept promises less strain on the still growing capacity of the power grids in emerging economies. While power output is increasing all the time, any vehicle that is able to charge itself via a renewable source such as solar power would find great potential in such a market.
While it may only be a design on paper at the moment, there is a clear path forward in application for this futuristic and cutting-edge, yet simple scooter design.
Source: Fajar Ismail
