With an unconventional design concept from Pininfarina and a show car, the mobility start-up HOLON is exploring the market. The innovative concept is quickly attracting a great deal of interest from potential customers. The next step is the technical implementation and further development of the visionary design into a vehicle ready for series production. To this end, the company is bringing the experts from the EDAG Group on board.
HOLON develops future-oriented mobility solutions that are to be produced in an economically viable and efficient manner. The focus is on optimized production and operating costs in order to enable sustainable mobility for all. The EDAG Group offers a complete portfolio for vehicle development – from pre-series to series development, prototype construction, and series production. HOLON decided to collaborate in the areas of vehicle development, prototype construction, and production planning.
Concept development and validation
In this project, EDAG was responsible for development and design activities (vehicle engineering) as well as prototype construction and the development of the production facility. Thanks to the close cooperation, the requirements of the prototypes could be fed back directly to the development department. At the same time, the changes were also incorporated directly into the plans for series production. The joint development project covered the entire technical implementation.
Under the leadership of HOLON, EDAG VE (Vehicle Engineering) provided support in transforming the show car into a technically functional concept.
The next stage consisted of developing a pre-series vehicle with the aim of later industrializing production. Both series production suitability and customer suitability requirements had to be taken into account. In addition, installation space concepts had to be created for all areas within the specified environment and the integration of all systems and components had to be ensured. This also included adequate test planning and, in some cases, test execution. 
Challenges
Another key point was the joint definition and documentation of all relevant requirements. In addition, it was necessary to ensure that these were taken into account and complied with in the further development process. The creation of the DVP (Design Verification Plan) was a true collaborative effort that required intensive coordination and the pooling of expertise from all teams involved. This posed a particular challenge, as it is a new vehicle concept that includes the following elements, for example:
- Autonomous movement in road traffic
- On-demand passenger transport, integrated into public transport
- Innovative interior concept with lounge character
- Barrier-free access and highly inclusive (wheelchair accessible)
- For different markets (e.g., EU, USA, Gulf region)
Parallel to the technical development process, the competencies and responsibilities of both partners were closely coordinated to ensure optimal project execution.
Efficiency gains through digitalization
An essential aspect of an efficient development process is the integrated digital tool chain, which supports central data storage and continuous, uniform documentation. This minimizes sources of error and helps to ensure that all project participants are always working with the same data.
This ensures, for example, that short-term changes in the design (CAD) are immediately taken into account in the validation process using simulation (CAE). Digitalization also lays an important foundation for communication and data exchange with subsequent and parallel processes, such as prototype construction and production planning.
Conclusion
The development of the HOLON urban exemplifies the path taken by all those involved from vision to SOP: from a design draft to a functioning vehicle for large-scale series production. Successful implementation required a high level of technical expertise, innovative solutions, and partnership-based cooperation.
If you are also interested in support for your product development, talk to Dirk Böhm, Senior Project Manager, and Veronika Hergenröder, Lead Development Engineer, in Vehicle Engineering at the EDAG Group. Or download our white paper "Greater efficiency in the construction of mule cars and related development steps," which provides details on the EDAG mule car concept and the advantages of integrated development.
