Modular and Adaptive Approach for Advancing Innovation and Sustainability in Light Vehicles Design

This paper reports part of the research results carried out within the National Centre for Sustainable Mobility (MOST—CN4)—Spoke 5 “Light Vehicle and Active Mobility”—funded by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Specifically, it presents the design of a bicycle frame based on the pursuit of maximum modularity and adaptability. The research investigates multi-level modularity as a strategic design lever to improve flexibility, usability, and production efficiency in light vehicles. A design-driven and interdisciplinary methodology combined a systematic analysis of 76 patents with a qualitative cross-comparison of 15 case-study products and collaborative co-design activities involving domain experts. The resulting insights informed the development of a modular bike frame prototype, enabling evaluation of user-centered adaptability, production-oriented modularity, and functional transformations such as e-bike integration and cargo configurations. Findings provide evidence-based, qualitative insights and practical design exploration for modular light vehicle development, offering an operational framework and laying the groundwork for a structured, generalized framework to guide future research and industrial applications.