Covestro Unveils Autonomous Electric Shuttle "SUE People Mover"

Delivering lightweight, durability, and circularity through mono-material design
Presenting an urban autonomous driving platform

Global high-tech materials company Covestro announced on the 24th that it has unveiled the autonomous electric shuttle “SUE People Mover,” which incorporates the company’s innovative materials. The vehicle was developed under the leadership of UE | STUDIOS with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the European Union (EU), and Covestro participated as a key materials partner from the early design stage.

People mover. The large polycarbonate front panel, one of several materials provided by Covestro, is clearly visible. UE

The SUE People Mover is a fully autonomous shuttle capable of test-driving on public roads at speeds of up to 50 km/h. Targeted at urban public transportation as a next-generation platform vehicle, it applies high-performance polycarbonate and a mono-material design approach throughout the exterior and interior, simultaneously enhancing light weight, durability, design freedom, and resource circularity.

The highlight of the exterior is the large front panoramic window, which measures 381 cm in length. By using Makrolon® AG polycarbonate, the design achieves a large-area surface while ensuring low weight and high impact resistance. In addition, an option to use mass-balanced raw materials was adopted to take sustainability into account.

Makrolon® AX ST material was used for the sensor protection cover that supports the autonomous driving functions. Although opaque, it allows sensor signals to pass through, enabling the integration of multiple sensors such as LiDAR and cameras out of sight from the outside, while ensuring durability against intentional damage and stone chipping during driving.

Inside the vehicle, Covestro’s Arfinio® has been applied to the automotive sector for the first time. It is a fully recyclable mono-material that is lightweight yet robust, while reproducing a stone-like texture, thereby demonstrating the potential for circular economy solutions in vehicle interiors. The seats use a mono-material based on Desmopan® AIR thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), providing abrasion resistance, seating comfort, and ease of maintenance at the same time.

Through this project, Covestro also highlighted the effectiveness of a “mono-material approach.” The company explained that by designing around a single primary material and simplifying the separation, recovery, and recycling processes, it is possible to increase recycling efficiency and resource circularity compared with composite materials. This is being evaluated as a strategy that can simultaneously meet the demands of future mobility for light weight, durability, and sustainability.

Jochen Hardt, Global Head of Mobility Marketing at Covestro, said, “The People Mover is a showcase model that illustrates the future of mobility,” adding, “From the design stage, we took recycling into account and applied fully recyclable mono-materials throughout both the interior and exterior.”