KUNA Motors

Problem statement the why

The people who move India's goods pay the most to do it. Fuel and upkeep eat a delivery rider's day, and the clean vehicles that could fix this cost too much to buy.

[0001] Cities

Choked streets

Indian cities rank among the worst in the world for air pollution and traffic jams. It is time to rethink mobility from the ground up.

[0002] Last mile

Slow last mile

Poor last-mile connectivity adds travel time for passengers and cargo alike.

[0003] Riders

Thin margins

A petrol two-wheeler burns 50–70 Rs a day in fuel and needs about 500 Rs a month in maintenance, which leaves delivery riders with hardly any income.

[0004] Businesses

Hiring overhead

Companies take on paperwork, licences and insurance for every rider they hire.

[0005] Adoption

EVs cost too much

Sustainable transport is sprouting, but the vehicles are too costly for mass adoption.

[0006] Street trade

No counter, no power

Juice sellers, ironing stalls and vegetable vendors need a surface to work on and electricity to run on, wherever they park.

The questionHow do we put a vehicle within reach of these workers that costs a tenth as much to run, needs no paperwork, and becomes their shop when it stops?

Brief description of the drawings 10 sheets

FIG. 1 Side elevation of the KUNA cargo e-bike, the principal design: tray handlebar, flat front deck, long rear cargo deck, a seat hinged at its front edge, and a removable side panel closing the battery bay. Knobby tyres front and rear.

FIG. 2 Top plan view of the two side panels laid end to end as a bench, lettering mirrored on the second panel.

FIG. 3 Oblique view of one removable side panel and its fastener pattern.

FIG. 4 Side elevation of the Warren-truss frame with the panels removed, spoked wheels and a single rear shock.

FIG. 5 Front elevation: wide bar, mirrors on stalks, twin fork legs and the front carrier rails.

FIG. 6 Side elevation of an alternative embodiment: wire-mesh baskets on tubular racks, balloon tyres, and one long panel spanning the wheelbase.

FIG. 7 Workbench mode. The side panels lift off the battery bay and lie across the rear carrier as a counter, carried at the far end by a fold-out leg. The battery's outlet plate is now exposed.

FIG. 8 Workbench mode set up as a juice stall: juicer run from the vehicle battery, cutting board, cups, dispenser and a clamp-on sun umbrella.

FIG. 9 Workbench mode set up for iron pressing: padded cover on the counter, steam iron on the battery outlet, garments stacked and draped.

FIG. 10 Workbench mode set up as a vegetable stall: inclined display trays, a mast carrying a lamp and a hanging scale, the lamp fed from the battery.

Description from the Kuna moodboard

Summary: the solution

[0007]

A cargo e-bike gives delivery riders and small business owners significant savings every day. No paperwork is needed if the top speed stays below 55 km/h.

[0008]

Because the total cost of ownership is low for EVs, businesses can adopt them faster. An EV usually costs 5–6 Rs a day to charge and needs relatively no maintenance. The cost to move goods drops by about 10×, a huge saving for small businesses and delivery riders. Only profits attract businesses.

[0009]

By focusing on the best product at the lowest price, we deliver value to the user and the buyer. The other benefits follow as a by-product.

Running cost	Petrol two-wheeler	KUNA e-bike
Energy, per day	50–70 Rs	5–6 Rs
Maintenance, per month	≈ 500 Rs	Relatively none
Paperwork	Licence, registration, insurance	None below 55 km/h

Workbench mode

[0010]

The two side panels that close the battery bay while riding come off with hand fasteners. Laid end to end on the rear carrier, they make a long counter. A leg folds down from the far end, the seat pivots forward on its hinge, and the centre stand holds the vehicle level. With the panels off, the outlet plate on the battery pack is in reach, so the stall runs on the same battery that moved it there (FIG. 7).

Juice stall

Juicer and dispenser on the counter, run from the outlet. A sun umbrella clamps to the leg.

FIG. 8

Iron pressing

A padded cover turns the counter into a pressing board. The steam iron plugs into the pack.

FIG. 9

Vegetable vendor

Inclined trays face the street. A mast carries a hanging scale and an evening lamp.

FIG. 10

Opportunity for growth

[0011]

There is a big opportunity to improve the rural and urban freight and cargo market in India, or any developing nation, by introducing small electric vehicles.

Markets: wherever there is stuff to be moved

Airports and shipyards
Factories
Construction sites
Medicine delivery
India Post
Resorts
Tourist areas
Vegetable and fruit street vendors

Moving payload more efficiently by

Decreasing energy spent
Decreasing emissions
Decreasing time
Decreasing cost
Adopting better logistics and routing technology

Outlook

[0012]

Electric vehicles are here to stay until fuel-cell technology matures and becomes available to the common person. EV adoption will raise energy demand and the load on the grid, and the government is working on a plan for 2030.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 11–16

FIG. 11 Source inspiration: the rugged utility Mule, a flat load platform on four knobby wheels with the driver seated over the front axle.

FIG. 12 Iteration 01: the platform becomes a neighbourhood vegetable shop with a canopy, produce crates, a price board and a hanging scale.

FIG. 13 Iteration 02: a lighter tubular chassis, smaller spoked wheels, an enclosed cargo box and a solar-panel canopy that shades the stock.

FIG. 14 Iteration 03, plan view: the driver seat swivels 180° about a vertical axis, facing forward to drive and toward customers to sell.

FIG. 15 Detail of the lockable swivel: a detent ring under the seat pan and a spring-loaded pin released by a hand lever.

FIG. 16 Point-of-sale console: UPI QR stand, customer display, digital scale, receipt printer and the vendor dashboard on one rail.

Description KUNA EcoMule

The core design principle

[0013]

Most commercial vehicles are designed around movement. A street-vendor vehicle spends much of its working day stationary, so EcoMule has to perform equally well as transport and as a place of work.

PrincipleDrive like a utility vehicle. Park like a storefront.

How EcoMule evolved

[0014]

Each iteration keeps one useful characteristic from the source vehicle and removes what does not belong in a low-cost neighbourhood retail vehicle.

Source

Rugged, compact and mechanically simple. Retained: compact footprint, exposed utility frame, large cargo area, functional simplicity.

FIG. 11

Iteration 01

Cargo is no longer only transported. It is displayed, weighed and sold directly from the vehicle.

FIG. 12

Iteration 02

The heavy military character gives way to a light urban frame, smaller wheels, open access and solar shade.

FIG. 13

Iteration 03

The vehicle changes posture when parked. The vendor does not leave the seat to start selling.

FIG. 14

Purpose-built for street retail

[0015]

EcoMule is a micro-enterprise platform rather than a miniature truck.

Solar canopy

Shade, plus power for lights, phone charging, digital payments and auxiliary battery charging.

Lightweight chassis

A simple tubular structure that cuts mass and can be built around locally serviceable parts.

Electric assist

Low-speed electric propulsion makes frequent neighbourhood stops easier and lowers daily running cost.

Modular crates

Produce stays visible and removable, which helps loading, sorting, cleaning and customer access.

Selling tools built in

Scale, price board, lighting and payment and phone positions are part of the vehicle.

Repairable construction

Minimal bodywork and accessible frame members keep routine repairs within reach of local workshops.

One seat, two working modes

[0016]

A 180° lockable swivel keeps one chair with the vendor all day. It faces forward for driving and turns toward customers once EcoMule is safely parked, without a second seat (FIG. 14, FIG. 15).

Digital selling, built in

[0017]

The point-of-sale console puts UPI payment, customer pricing, weighing and transaction information into the vendor's workspace (FIG. 16).

Element	What it does
UPI / QR payment	A clear scan-to-pay area for fast digital checkout.
Customer display	Shows price, weight, offers and payment confirmation.
Digital weighing	Keeps weighing and checkout in one customer-facing flow.
Vendor dashboard	Battery, solar charging, sales totals and payment mix at a glance.

A platform for neighbourhood micro-businesses

[0018]

The same basic architecture could be adapted for fruit, flowers, tea, snacks, repair services, cold-box delivery, recycling collection and other mobile livelihoods.

Credit

Manoj Manduva

Concept, sketches and design. Manoj is a product designer based in Vancouver, BC, who works between a founder's vision and people's needs, bringing product thinking and design together. He holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering and a Master's in Information and Interface Design from the National Institute of Design, and is a Principal Product Designer at Oracle.

manojmanduva.com

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