Italian startup NEXT unveils new generation modular pod for passenger transportation. Production at scale in 2025

The 2025 generation of NEXT-made modular pod for passenger transportation is ready and will be in production starting in 2025 in the Tecnobus factories, close to Rome, with which an industrial partnership is in force. And a collaboration with the van pooling startup Wayla (powered by ioki), active in Milan since October, is starting also in 2025. which will test the Next vehicles in 2025, begins.

These are two of the main news presented today, December 16, by the Paduan startup during an event held at the Kilometro Rosso innovation district in Bergamo.

Next, here is the 2025 model

NEXT startup is the creator of a three-meter-long module (which we tested in the previous version) with the aim of revolutionizing the concept of mobility. In the name of modularity: the NEXT capsules can function as a single “wagon” or connect to other modules based on real-time transport demand. During peak hours, the vehicle can connect to other “pods” to cope with increased demand.

“The 2025 model, which we are presenting today, includes 9 passenger seats + 7 standing. Or 21 people standing. Again, we have an M1 layout with belted seats that allows for the experience of an office on the move. Maximum speed? 100 km/h. With charging capacity up to 80 kW via Ccs2”, said NEXT Founder Tommaso Gecchelin during the presentation in Bergamo. Battery capacity is 88 kWh in the 2025 model, vs a mere 47 kWh in the previous pod.

“The goal of NEXT? Solving historical mobility problems with new methods – always Gecchelin -. We want to combine the advantages of a fixed-route system like the bus with the capillarity of customized-route systems like car sharing and taxis. Modularity, the ability to hook vehicles together, guarantees an 80 percent reduction in traffic and a 60 percent saving in terms of costs. Up to five modules can be hooked up during peak hours, just one during off-peak hours, thanks to the proprietary moving hooking software. This allows us to reduce the mass of steel that circulates on the roads, often empty”.

Also present was the production partner Tecnobus, manufacturer of the well-know Gulliver model,represented by the sole director Paolo Marini: “Tecnobus is a company that makes traditional vehicles. But it has been doing so for thirty years. In our development strategy, in the new plant that will become operational next year, we thought it would be interesting to combine the production of a vehicle like Gulliver, which has been in circulation for many years, with the manufacturing of an innovative vehicle like NEXT’s one. We are interested in combining the skills and experience developed in thirty years with the innovative strides of a company like NEXT. We are ready to start production”.