The problem
Electric rickshaws carry millions of passengers in Indian towns, but many bodies are simple boxes with poor weather protection, cramped seating and little identity. A redesign rooted in the measured package and user observation can improve comfort and safety and build an operator brand without major changes to the chassis.
Objectives
- Measure an existing e-rickshaw's chassis, seating and overall dimensions.
- Observe and interview passengers and drivers to find comfort and usability needs.
- Develop a body concept that improves entry, weather protection, ventilation and visibility.
- Model the body in Alias with simple, producible panels.
- Present renders and a comparison with the original vehicle.
What you need
Tools and toolboxes
- Autodesk Alias (Concept or Surface) — Package from measurements, sketches and a surfaced body.
- Alias surface tools — Rail Surface, Skin, Square, Surface Fillet and Trim for panels, canopy and openings.
- Diagnostic Shading — Zebra checks of large panels.
- KeyShot, VRED or SOLIDWORKS Visualize — Renders in a street context.
Software
- Autodesk Alias 2024 or later
- A renderer
Extra parts and data
- Access to a real e-rickshaw to measure and photograph — The redesign must fit an existing chassis and real passenger dimensions.
- Short user interviews with drivers and passengers — Real needs give the redesign a basis; follow your institution's consent guidance.
Key concepts
- User research
- Observing and interviewing users to find needs such as easy entry, rain protection or luggage space before designing.
- Producible panels
- Panels a small manufacturer can make with available processes, such as FRP moulding or sheet metal, which favours simple curvature.
- Brand identity
- Colour, graphics and form features that make an operator's fleet recognisable.
- AIS standards
- Indian Automotive Industry Standards apply to e-rickshaws; check the current applicable standards for dimensions and safety before finalising.
Step-by-step guide
- 1
Measure the vehicle
Measure an existing e-rickshaw with a tape and a long rule: wheelbase, track, overall length, width and height, chassis rail positions, battery position, seat positions and heights, entry step height and the canopy frame. Photograph it from front, side, rear and top-down angles where possible, with a scale reference such as a measured board in each image. Record everything in a dimension table.
Checkpoint: A measured dimension table and orthographic photos with a scale reference.
- 2
Research users
Observe passengers boarding, riding and getting off at a busy stand, noting difficulties with entry, luggage, rain and heat. Interview a few drivers and passengers about comfort, weather protection, luggage and safety concerns. Summarise the needs and rank them by how often they appear. Follow your institution's guidance on consent and keep notes anonymous. Photograph problems where people agree, avoiding faces.
Checkpoint: A ranked list of user needs with evidence from observation or interviews.
- 3
Build the package
Import the measured photos as Image Planes in Alias at the correct scale and trace the chassis, wheels, battery and seats as package curves. Add passenger and driver envelopes using published anthropometric data and the measured seat heights, including a small and a large person. Check the traced package against the measured dimension table before going further. Note any differences and their likely causes.
Checkpoint: A package that matches measurements within an example 10 mm on key dimensions.
- 4
Sketch concepts
Sketch three concepts that address the top-ranked needs, for example a wider entry, roll-down side curtains or partial panels, a deeper roof overhang, better ventilation and a defined luggage area. Include early colour ideas for an imaginary operator brand. Score each concept against the ranked needs list in a simple table and choose the strongest, noting what it gives up.
Checkpoint: Three concepts scored against the needs list with a chosen direction.
- 5
Model main volumes
Build the canopy, front cowl, side panels and rear with large, simple Rail and Skin surfaces, keeping curvature modest so panels suit FRP moulding or bent sheet metal, which small makers commonly use. Work with symmetry about the centre plane. Use Align to give G1 continuity at the main boundaries, and check the shaded model for gaps between panels. Keep panel count low to suit small-batch tooling.
Checkpoint: A closed shaded body with no gaps and zebra stripes continuous across main boundaries.
- 6
Add openings and features
Trim the entry openings, windscreen, side windows or curtain rails, lamp positions and the luggage area into the body. Give each opening a return surface or flange. Cut sections at the entry and the seats to check entry width, step height and headroom against the passenger envelopes, and adjust the surfaces until the targets from the needs list are met.
Checkpoint: Sections show entry width and headroom meeting the example targets from the needs list.
- 7
Check visibility and clearance
Place driver eye points for a small and a large driver and check sight lines to the road ahead, the sides and the mirrors with simple line checks in side and plan view. Check body clearance to the front wheel at full steering lock and to the rear wheels over bumps. Adjust the cowl, pillars or canopy edge if any sight line is blocked.
Checkpoint: Driver sight lines are clear at the example targets and wheels clear the body at lock.
- 8
Apply brand identity
Develop a colour and graphics scheme for an imaginary operator, applied as materials or decals in Alias or your renderer. Use strong contrast and reflective strips that improve visibility at night, and keep graphics simple enough to apply as vinyl. Create two or three alternatives and check each against the form, and do not copy any existing brand's colours or logo.
Checkpoint: A colour and graphics sheet with two or three alternatives.
- 9
Render and compare
Render the redesigned vehicle in a street context and next to a simple model of the original vehicle. Present the needs research, package, concepts, model and a side-by-side comparison table of key dimensions and features such as entry width, headroom and covered area. Close with what you would test next, such as a cardboard mock-up with real passengers. Keep the scene files so the renders can be repeated.
Checkpoint: A presentation board with renders and a comparison table against the original.
Testing & validation
- Package matches measured chassis dimensions within tolerance.
- Entry width, headroom and sight lines meet targets from the user needs.
- Body clears wheels at steering lock.
- Panel curvature is modest enough for the stated process.
Expected results
A user-informed e-rickshaw body redesign modelled in Alias on a measured chassis, with improved entry, weather protection and visibility, a brand scheme and comparison renders.
Take it further
- Thicken panels in SOLIDWORKS and design the mounting frame.
- Estimate panel cost with SOLIDWORKS Costing.
- Test a scale mock-up with users.
- Check side-wind or rollover risk qualitatively with the canopy shape.
Viva and review questions
Why start with measurement and user research?
The body must fit an existing chassis and solve real problems. Measurements give the package and research gives the needs to design for.
How did you keep the design producible?
By using large, gently curved panels that suit FRP moulding or sheet metal, which small manufacturers commonly use.
Which standards apply?
Indian AIS standards apply to e-rickshaws. I checked dimensions against them as a concept check and noted that a full compliance review is needed.
Learn it at DIYguru
These DIYguru courses and programmes teach what this project needs.