modular electric minivan with solar panels can function as emergency and disaster vehicle

HW Electro’s puzzle is a commercial battery electric vehicle

Japanese vehicle company HW ELECTRO introduced its small, commercial battery electric vehicle named Puzzle during the Japan Mobility Show 2023. The concept electric minivan has a modular interior and is topped with solar panels, making it versatile enough to be both a power generator and a mobile home. On top of these two, the battery electric vehicle can also become an emergency responder or caravan equipped with a first-aid kit and medical equipment to help people in isolated or no-signal locations during emergencies.

HW ELECTRO’s Puzzle is as light as a car, even if it has the body of a minivan, functions as a movable power source in case of a disaster, and comes equipped with an emergency kit and a WiFi hotspot for connectivity regardless of signal interferences. The vehicle company says it will continue to add more functions to the modular electric minivan, which was recently brought to New York as its entrance into the North American market. HW ELECTRO plans to mass-produce Puzzle with a US availability in around 2025.

images by HW ELECTRO

Standardized components for easy replacement

Looking around the exterior design of HW ELECTRO’s Puzzle, the battery electric vehicle has slanted front windows, disrupting its cubic shape. This can allow more visible sights for the driver’s line of vision, and the large-sized window can widen the horizon for easy driving and viewing up front. On the sides and at the rear, the windows may be visibly smaller but still offer generous views. The doors swing outward in different directions, and even the inside of the doors are modular using plushy board. Here, the users can plug in rods so they can hang and position other objects such as a mini shelf or a set of hangers.

The modular electric minivan is also streamlined—meaning it uses the same panels—so that it is easy for the users to remove or add other components. These standardized panels appear under the front light and the front edge of the roof, and the left front door and the right rear door. By doing this and using compatible common panels, HW ELECTRO says it has eliminated waste during manufacturing and increased productivity since rational designs like Puzzle’s can optimize all resources during manufacturing. Funds obtained by reducing hardware costs are used to develop software and connected services.

reare view of HW ELECTRO’s Puzzle, a modular electric minivan

modular electric minivan equipped with large batteries

The modular electric minivan is set to become a mobile power source since it is equipped with large batteries, enough to make it supply power functions and power up appliances and equipment. The van style can enable the battery electric vehicle to deliver goods to and from towns and ship objects around residential areas on daily one-mile deliveries. Stepping inside, HW ELECTRO’s Puzzle has been designed to minimize wasted luggage space. The design team opted for a cubic cargo van instead of the typical often-narrowed roofs of other vehicles to support more space and accommodate more edgy and boxy furnishings.

Technology-wise, HW ELECTRO released its dedicated app MyHWE in June 2023 and has since been providing services through the app. It links the company’s electric vehicles to the users’ smartphones so they can keep track of various information regarding their cars on their phones. Currently, they can check the remaining battery level, charging status, and current location of the vehicle, and in the future, the company plans to improve various services and functions, including disaster relief using the Internet and optimization of delivery areas. The app may also be connected to the upcoming modular electric minivan Puzzle.

HW ELECTRO’s Puzzle has a spacious interior as a modular electric minivan