FCV Emergency Inverter
DENSO CORPORATION
USER RESEARCH | COMPETITOR ANALYSIS | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN | ENGINEERING CAD | BRANDING
Denso is a world-leading innovator in Electrical Vehicle components and accessories.
We designed for Denso the Emergency Energy, a Mobile 3KW inverter for extracting electricity from FCV’s, powerig both electrical vehicles and devices for disaster-stricken areas. Emergency Energy bridges the gap between home power and the electrical generation potential of FCV’s (Fuel Cell Vehicles). The device takes DC power from the FCV and provides AC output. FCV’s can now become backup power sources in an emergency, essentially functioning as a power source on wheels or large mobile battery.
Following the Great Tohoku earthquake and the frequency of disaster-scale emergencies, in-depth user research was conducted to define this product. Designed for local governments and hospitals, it is intended to bring energy safety and security in times of energy scarcity.
This project is the synthesis of our way studios design skill, simplifying technically complex problems, into beautifully simple products.
Designed in collaboration with Denso.
“Max has always made these products very fine and innovative. He has a remarkable ability in styling geometry and business fitting. I am very pleased to work with him”
Yoshito Itoh
Director, Design Division, Denso Corporation
BRAND denso.com
PHOTO Our Way Studio
The charging gun was stripped of its unnecessary gun-shaped handle. Designed into a simple cylinder shape, creating a departure from the generic charging gun shapes found
in competitor products.
The design process incorporated competitor analysis, user research, sketching, model making, these ideas were later developed in CAD, mechanically functioning prototypes and a final product solution. A key factor included engineering down its weight. We stripped the design down to the essential minimum, enabling us to meet the Labor Standards Act of 60kg maximum weight for two people carrying, whilst being small enough to be stored in the back of a car. The 60 KG weight also gave rise to the iconic cylindrical shape, which acts as a large wheel for transport, and acts perfectly as a rolling drum shape for the management of the thick 8-metre electrical cable. The design also needed to accommodate, electricity outlets, accessible fuse breakers, user interface controls, FCV plug, etc.
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