Materials

& Design
Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449
www.elsevier.com/locate/matdes

Product design and prototype making for an electric scooter

Jyh-Rong Chou a, Shih-Wen Hsiao b,*

a
Department of Product Design, Fortune Institute of Technology, Kaohsiung 831, Taiwan, ROC
b
Department of Industrial Design, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC

Received 9 December 2003; accepted 16 June 2004

Available online 26 January 2005

Abstract

Electric scooters are considered a new technical green product and a potential industry for many countries. With the highest
scooter per capita density and the major producer of motor scooters around the world, Taiwan possesses sufficient conditions
for developing electric scooters. In this article, work concerning product design and prototype making of an electric scooter is
described, which was the outcome of a collaborative project for new product development. The final product was satisfactory,
and was designed according to the aesthetic principle of golden section proportion, and subsequently outer housings were produced
with fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) by hand lay-up process. Not only the product appearance was created, but a prototype of an
electric scooter was also built using various traditional modeling and engineering techniques.

2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: H. Product design; C. Modeling processes; H. Prototype making

1. Introduction in many Asian countries as shown in Fig. 1 [2]. Com-

In Taiwan, the motorcycle manufacture has been a
significant industry since the 1950s. It had been the ma-
jor contributor to economic growth by providing very
cost-effective transportation during the earlier years
when the automotive industry and public transit system
were not well-established. The motorcycle industry pros-
pered during the last decade as indicated by statistics:
Annual production reached a peak of 1.5 million in
1995 and then the market became saturated. Currently,
there are over 11 million registered motorcycles with the
highest motorcycle per capita density (2.1 person per
motorcycle) in Taiwan [1].
Two-wheel motor vehicles which include motorcy-
cles, motor bikes, motor scooters, mopeds, and motor-
ized-rickshaws represent over 50% of the vehicle fleet
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +886 6 2757575x54300; fax: +886 6
2746088.
E-mail addresses: swhsiao@mail.ncku.edu.tw, swhsiao2002@
yahoo.com.tw (S.-W. Hsiao).
pared with other vehicles, they are growing at a much
faster rate. AsiaÕs 40 million scooters are growing at
18% per year. ChinaÕs scooter population is growing
even faster at 30%. According to Colella [2], in Asia,
motor scooters are more popular than cars for the fol-
lowing reasons:
1. The average GDP per person in most Asian countries
is a fraction, 10% or less, of that of European coun-
tries. Scooters are more attractive than cars because
they are more affordable, at one-tenth the cost.
2. Urban population densities are, on the average, three
to five times higher than that of European cities, and
the typical city layout does not support an extensive
car infrastructure. Not only are roads too few, so
are parking spaces.
3. Traffic is a perennial problem in cities, such as Bang-
kok, Shanghai, and Taipei. Scooters are popular
because they can more easily maneuver through
traffic.

0261-3069/$ - see front matter
2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2004.06.018
440 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449

mental project of electric scooters which integrated ef-

forts of the government and involved industries in
Taiwan [6]. Nowadays, electric scooters are considered
a new green technology of transportation for the 21st
century and also regarded as a viable niche market
and a potential industry for many countries [2,3]. Re-
lated development, however, mostly stressed power per-
formance and energy efficiency during the past decades
[6–8]. Little study was done regarding appearance design
of electric scooters.
Accordingly, this article focuses on appearance de-
sign and prototype construction for an electric scooter,
by using applicable design theories, modeling processes,
and engineering techniques to develop a new style of
electric scooter.
Fig. 1. Popularity of motor scooters in Asia.

2. Appearance design process

Due to the pattern of economic development and the
geographic environment, the major scooter markets are
New product development is a vital endeavor for the
concentrated in many Asian countries. In 1999, the
modern corporation. Companies must learn how to
number of scooters sold in nine Asian countries includ-
innovate effectively, overhauling their new product pro-
ing: Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Mainland
cesses – from idea to launch – and incorporating new de-
China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and India to-
signs for new winning products [9]. On the other hand,
taled more than 18 million, while the number sold in
product design can be considered as a goal-directed
Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Holland,
problem-solving activity, which is a complex set of inte-
Spain, and the UK was 2.5 million. Other countries with
grated efforts, including generating design ideas, devel-
more than 50,000 scooters sold annually include the
oping concepts, modifying details, evaluating
USA, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, and Australia, with
appropriate solutions, etc. Ljungberg and Edwards [10]
a combined total of 1.19 million sold in 1999. Apart
indicated that product development can be divided into
from Japan, Taiwan is the most significant scooter pro-
two important areas: physical and metaphysical devel-
ducer in Asia [3]. Although motor scooters have become
opment. The former involves more materialistic and tra-
the most popular mode of transportation in Asian coun-
ditional usages in product development, but the latter is
tries, scooter exhaust gas is supposedly the main source
more relevant to psychological attentiveness. In todayÕs
of air pollution, especially in densely populated cities
highly competitive marketplace, product design should
filled with highly polluting two-stroke engine vehicles.
not only satisfy consumersÕ physical requirements, but
In accordance with estimates by the Environmental Pro-
should also gratify their psychological needs. Aside from
tection Administration (EPA), Government of the
the fundamental function of practicality, product design
Republic of China, total air pollution generated by
must fulfill the aesthetic pleasure of visual appreciation
scooters in Taiwan amounts to 330,000 tons of carbon
since aesthetic pleasure is usually considered a vital fac-
monoxide, and 90,000 tons of chemical compounds con-
tor for market success in terms of new product
taining carbon hydroxide per year. Of this amount, five
development.
million two-stroke engine scooters generate 1.5 times
more carbon monoxide than four-stroke engine scoot-
ers, and 4.5 times more carbon hydroxide. Moreover, 2.1. Description of the design case
each four-stroke engine scooter produces two to three
times more exhaust pollution per kilometer than a This case was a collaborative project of new product
2000 c.c. car, while two-stroke engine scooters are even development supported by the Flying Electric Motor
worse, producing three to seven times more pollutants Company, Taiwan. There were five college students se-
[4]. lected from the Department of Industrial Design, who
Since Taiwan is one of the major producers of motor worked as a design team for the product development
scooters in the world [1,5], it is now making an effort to project. The main purpose of this project was to im-
apply new technology to develop electric scooters, not prove the former product Cheng-Gong 520 electric
only for environmental protection but for industrial scooter (see Fig. 2), the first developed model of the Fly-
advancement as well. In 1995, a prototype zero-emission ing Electric Motor Company, and to develop a new style
scooter was developed, which was one part of a develop- of electric scooter for the market.
 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449
Fig. 2. Appearance of Cheng-Gong 520 electric scooter.
In order to achieve the goals of innovative product
design for the companyÕs electric scooter, our design
team undertook an evolutionary thinking to approach
the developmental history and evolutionary pathway to-
ward the target product, as well as to anticipate its pos-
sible development in the future. Based on the analysis of
the evolutionary thinking diagram shown in Fig. 3, var-
ious kinds of two-wheeled vehicles were shown in order
of development, including the bicycle, motorcycle, mo-
tor bike, electric bike, scooter, and electric scooter. Sub-
sequently we assumed that the position of electric
Fig. 3. Evolutionary thinking diagram for the product design.
441
scooters is different from traditional fuel scooters. Elec-
trically-powered two-wheel scooters however will be-
come a significant means of transportation for many
urban areas. Moreover, we also identified some design
objectives for developing an elegant, harmonious, and
humanistically-designed electric scooter.
2.2. Generating an optimal concept design
From the results of our previous research [11], we
proposed a creativity-based design process for innova-
tive product design. For further proving the practicabil-
ity of the proposed design process, a case study
regarding the appearance design of electric scooters
was done. An optimal concept design was also deter-
mined among three design alternatives by using an oper-
ative decision-making model based on the weighted
generalized mean method. A rendering of the concept
design is shown in Fig. 4.
2.3. The conclusive design in the golden section proportion
After analysis of the concept design and 3D preview
of a 1:20 mock-up manufactured from high-density
polyurethane foam, we considered that the golden sec-
tion proportion not only could fit its form style but
could also match our design objectives. The golden sec-
tion proportion is an acknowledged law of aesthetics
which was found in the Hellenistic arts about 2500 years
ago, and was very popular in the period of the Renais-
sance (15th and 16th century).
As we know, the golden section proportion (1:0.618)
has been regarded as a measure of visual aesthetic plea-
sure over the past thousand years. It shows a harmoni-
ous proportionality and plays an important role in the
analysis of beauty and harmony, not only in natural
things but also in man-made objects [12–15]. Therefore,
we actualized the conclusive design by using the propor-
tional principle of golden section proportion and sepa-
rated the electric scooter into three main parts: basic
frame, outer covering, and functional accessories. The
processes of conclusive design are described as follows:
Fig. 4. A rendering of the concept design.
442 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449
Process 1: Determining the dimension parameters of
the basic frame
Owing to the power drive and battery fittings, the
center-of-gravity position (C.G.) of an electric scooter
is different from that of a conventional-fuel scooter
[16]. For the considerations of loading equilibrium and
operation stability, we not only determined the dimen-
sions based on the C.G. position but also employed
over-sized and no-inner-tube tires with front-disc and
rear-drum type of brakes. The significant dimension
parameters and the C.G. position of the scooter frame
are shown in Fig. 5.
Process 2: Constructing the detailed contours of
appearance
Based on the basic frame, we respectively constructed
the sketchy outlines of the side view, front view, and
back view of the scooter, and then modified the detailed
contours according to the geometric principle of golden
section proportion such as golden rectangle, golden tri-
angle, golden ellipse, golden polygon/star pentagram,
and golden spiral [15]. The outline drawing of the con-
clusive design is shown in Fig. 6, and the final design
has the following characteristics: (1) no front fender de-
sign gives people a new impression of an electric scooter,
Fig. 5. The significance dimension parameters of the basic frame.
(2) the body designed with golden proportion yields a
scooter with a classical and elegant appearance, (3) a
rounded and smooth configuration gives the look of
harmony and gracefulness, (4) the digital luminescent
instrument panel and metal accessories in chromate
cladding reveal its modern technical aesthetics, and (5)
the combination of a one-piece running-board and
detachable battery module provides for operational sta-
bility, (see Fig. 7)
2.4. Dimensional drafting of the appearance design
Having completed the product appearance design,
the major dimensions had to be determined in order to
progress to the following prototype making process.
Based on the outline drawing shown in Fig. 6, the
dimensional drafting was done as shown in Fig. 8.
3. Prototype making process
To embody this conclusive design, a prototype of
electric scooter had to be fabricated. In which case, we
made a working model with fiberglass housings, not
 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449 443

Fig. 6. Outline drawing according to the principle of golden section proportion.

only for reviewing the outward appearance but also for
verifying the performance of the design outcome. Proto-
type making involves materials selection, modeling pro-
cesses, and the related engineering techniques, and it can
be divided into three main procedures: (1) 3D solid for-
mation, (2) outer housings reproduction, and (3) parts
fitting and assembly completion. The outline of the pro-
totype making procedure is shown in Fig. 9.
3.1. The fundamental materialization of solid formation
drafting shown in Fig. 8, we constructed a full-size clay
model by serial modeling processes such as: frame fixing,
net-curved surface braiding, polyurethane (PU) foaming
and sculpting, clay (Industrial clay, J525) mantling and
shaving, and finished clay modeling, consequently
resulting in a precise clay mold. The modeling processes
are shown in Fig. 10.
3.2. The reproduction of fiber reinforced plastics outer
housings

Making a 3D full-size (1:1) mold is the first step in Considering the factors of mechanical strength and
making a prototype. According to the dimensional processing feasibility, we decided to remake the outer
444 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449

Fig. 7. Illustration of the appearance design characteristics.

Fig. 8. Dimensional drafting of the appearance design for the electric scooter.

housing out of fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) using the
hand lay-up method. This processing method is a tradi-
tional technique for forming objects in FRP, which is
popular because the process is simple, molds are low
in cost, and there are no size restrictions. Hand lay-up
requires less machines and tools but more manual labor
and proficient skills [17].
Based on the constructed clay mold, we used silicone
as the inner material, and FRP as the outer reinforce-
ment to reproduce the gel coated matrixes. In order to
draw out the matrixes from the clay mold smoothly,
the body of the electric scooter was divided into five
parts as shown in Fig. 11. Subsequently, the hand lay-
up method was done by cumulatively placing fiberglass
mats next to the resin gel layer on the matrixes, and then
the outer housings were formed after curing and suffi-
cient hardness had been completed.
Due to the inner material properties of the gel
coated matrixes, we did not add any mold-releasing
agent while the patterns (housings) were drawn from
the matrixes. During each hand-lay-up forming process,
the formed housings might cause a tiny deformation
 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449 445

Fig. 9. Outline of the prototype making procedure.

with regards to different parameters, such as: tempera- warp, caused mainly by the non-uniformity of harden-
ture, humidity, rein-to-glass ratio, mixed-rate of resin ing shrink in each forming course, and will lead to
(unsaturated polyesters and accelerator), and the layout unsuitability of housings assembly. In this case with
of fiberglass mats, etc. Such deformations is called, the formed housing presetting procedure, the average
446 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449

Fig. 10. Modeling processes leading to the creation of a 3D solid mold.

percentage of dimensional error was about 3.5% in
area.
To deal with the problem, we utilized the characteris-
tic of physical creep. The matrix (linear unsaturated
polyesters) of FRP was reduced in its elasticity property
but increased in viscosity according to the rise in temper-
ature, especially on the glass transfer temperature.
Therefore, we took advantage of the plastic deformation
due to the thermocreep phenomenon to adjust the warp
of the formed housings. The method of housing adjust-
ment is shown in Fig. 12, and the fabricating processes
in terms of the housings produced are shown in Fig. 13.
3.3. Parts fitting, assembly and final completion
Having completed the production of housings, we
proceeded with the rest of the work, which was:
fitting power system, connecting circuit system, assem-
bling housings, coating appearance, and settings acces-
sories. Eventually a prototype of electric scooter
named ‘‘FORTUNE 200e’’ was built as shown in
Fig. 14.
4. Results and discussions
For evaluating the performance of this designed pro-
totype, we did an on-road riding test (Fig. 15), and listed
the related specifications of this electric scooter as shown
in Table 1. Compared with ‘‘Cheng-Gong 520’’ electric
scooter, ‘‘FORTUNE 200e’’ designed by using the gol-
den section proportion creates a much more eye-catching
image. According to our sampling analysis using 50
 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449 447

Fig. 11. The analysis for drawing out the matrixes.

Fig. 12. The diagram of housing adjusted by the plastic deformation of thermocreep.

Fig. 13. Fabricating processes concerning the housings production.

448 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449

respondents, the final prototype has resulted in a 32%

Fig. 14. The prototype of ‘‘FORTUNE 200e’’ electric scooter.
more increase in appearance over the former product
as measured by elegance, harmony, and humanistic eval-
uation factors. These factors were the original design
objectives we identified for the product development
project.
Power performance, however did not increase as
per our initial expectations even though we employed
a more powerful drive system with advanced Ni–Zn
batteries. That was because of the weight of the scoo-
ter which was hand-made with five laminar layers of
fiberglass mats and certain structural metals. We esti-
mate that the scooter net weight will be reduced at
least 10% by using lightweight materials in future
mass production, improving power performance
efficiency.

Fig. 15. Road-testing the scooter.

Table 1
The specifications of ‘‘FORTUNE 200e’’ electric scooter
Specifications of ‘‘FORTUNE 200e’’ electric scooter
Dimensions Overall length: 1675 mm Overall width: 660 mm Overall height: 1070 mm Wheel base: 1200 mm
Weight Net weight: 105 kg Carrying capacity: Gross weight: 215 kg
110 kg (2 persons)
Drive Model: belt-drive Retardatory ratio: 1:10
Suspension Front: tube Rear: single swing arm
Brakes Front: disk Rear: drum
Tires Front: 120/90–10 (tubeless) Rear: 130/90–10 (tubeless)
(pressure 1.30 kg/cm2) (pressure 1.50 kg/cm2)
Lamplight Headlight: 12 V/35 W Taillight: 12 V/5 W Turn signal: 12 V/10 W Brake light: 12 V/21 W
Motor Model: D.C. 48 V (brushless) Controller: IGBT/PWM Horsepower: 4.20 Hp/7200 rpm
Battery Model: Sealed Ni–Zn Battery Dimensions (mm): Weight: 6.4 kg · 4 ps Nominal capacity:
326 · 94 · 132 12 V · 22 Ah · 4 ps
Charger Model: built-in charger Charging time: 2 h Charging power: 720 W
Performance Terminal speed: 63 km/h Sloping ability: (tanh): 11 Sustainable distances:
80 km (constant 30 km/h)
 J.-R. Chou, S.-W. Hsiao / Materials and Design 26 (2005) 439–449
5. Conclusions
Due to the consideration of environmental protection
and industrial advancement factors, electric scooters are
regarded as a viable niche market and a potential indus-
try for many countries, especially for Taiwan and other
Asian countries. We thought that the development of
electric scooters should not only stress more power per-
formance and energy efficiency but should also be fo-
cused on appreciation of outward appearance since
electric scooters are considered a new-era green technol-
ogy product of the 21st century.
This article describes a project concerning product
design and prototype construction of an electric scooter,
which was the result of a collaborative project for new
product development. Even though expensive advanced
tools and apparatuses were not used, and common tra-
ditional techniques were employed in this product devel-
opment project, the final work was satisfactory,
particularly in terms of the appearance factor. That is
mainly because of the application of golden section pro-
portion, which is a critical tool in dealing with product
form design.
Additionally, the project provided further teaching–
learning value, because there were five college students
involved in the product development task, and the
development processes were recorded by a video camera
which can provide a practical pedagogic medium for
experiential instruction regarding relevant designing
and engineering topics. We also patented this new styl-
ing design through the Intellectual Property Office of
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan, ROC in 2002,
and have authorized the Flying Electric Motor Com-
pany to use our patented design in future production.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the students involved in the prod-
uct development project. Special acknowledgements to
449
the Flying Electric Motor Company, Taiwan for sup-
porting this collaborative new product development
project.
References
[1] Wang JH, Chiang WL, Shu JPH. The prospects – fuel cell
motorcycle in Taiwan. J Power Sources 2000;86:151–7.
[2] Colella WG. Market prospects, design features, and perfor-
mance of a fuel cell-powered scooter. J Power Sources 2000;86:
255–60.
[3] Tso C, Chang SY. A viable niche market-fuel cell scooters in
Taiwan. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2003;28:757–62.
[4] Electric motorcycle development action plan, Environmental
Protection Administration (EPA), Executive Yuan, ROC; March
1998.
[5] Chang S. Oncoming vehicles-fuel cell scooters. Taiwan Economic
Research Monthly; November 2000.
[6] Liu CT, Lin BM, Pan JS. Design and development of a zero-
emission scooter for Taiwan. J Power Sources 1996;59:
185–7.
[7] LaVen A. Driving cycle analysis of the Sun ComTM battery
electric scooter. Energy and Environmental Engineering Center,
Desert Research Institute; November 1998.
[8] Lin B. Conceptual design and modeling of a fuel cell scooter for
urban Asia. J Power Sources 2000;86:202–13.
[9] Cooper RG. Overhauling the new product process. Indust Market
Manage 1996;25:465–82.
[10] Ljungberg LY, Edwards KL. Design, material selection and
marketing of successful products. Mater Design 2003;24:519–29.
[11] Hsiao SW, Chou JR. A creativity-based design process for
innovative product design. Int J Indust Ergonom 2004;34:421–43.
[12] Ghyka M. The geometry of art and life. New York: Dover
Publications, Inc.; 1977.
[13] Doczi G. The power of limits: proportional harmonies in nature,
art, and architecture. Reissue ed. Shambhala Publications; 1994.
[14] Cook TA. The curves of life. New York: Dover Publications;
1979.
[15] Elam K. Geometry of design: studies in proportion and compo-
sition. New York: Princeton Architectural Press; 2001.
[16] Lai HC, Liu JS, Lee DT, Wang LS. Design parameters study on
the stability and perception of riding comfort of the electrical
motorcycles under rider leaning. Mechatronics 2003;13:49–76.
[17] Richardson T. Composites: a design guide. New York: Indus-
trial Press Inc.; 1987.