Modu Motar Birni by Daniel Henneh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Kyautar A' Design Award ta Baƙin Ƙarfe in Motoci Competition Category.

Baƙin ƘarfeMotoci· 2025

Modu Motar Birni

by Daniel Henneh

Client: Modu

Kyautar A' Design Award ta Baƙin Ƙarfe Winner in Motoci Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Modu Motar Birni

Modu wata motar birni ce mai sassauƙan tsari (modular) wadda aka tsara don tafiye-tafiye a cikin birane. An gina motar a kan sassa masu musanyawa. Fitilun gaba na hagu da na dama iri ɗaya ne, haka kuma madubai, da bumper na gaba da na baya, da tsarin tuƙi, da kuma chassis. Wannan salon yana rage yawan sassan da ake amfani da su, yana rage kuɗin masana'antu, da kuma makamashin da ake amfani da shi wajen kera motar. An yi jikin motar da faranti na aluminium (anodized) waɗanda aka yanka ta hanyar laser kuma aka lanƙwasa su, tare da tsarin tuƙi na lantarki, injinan da ke cikin taya (in-wheel motors), da dakatarwar iska (air suspension). Ana daidaita tsarin motar ta yanar gizo lokacin siyanta, kuma ana iya canza sassanta daga baya idan bukatu suka canza.

The Recognition

About the Kyautar A' Design Award ta Baƙin Ƙarfe

Zanen Modu Motar Birni ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Baƙin Ƙarfe, wata karramawa mai daraja da ake bai wa kyawawan zane-zane waɗanda ke cika buƙatun ƙwararru da masana'antu da ake tsammani daga ƙirƙire-ƙirƙire da aka tsara da kyau. Waɗanda suka lashe kyautar Baƙin Ƙarfe suna nuna babban ƙwarewa, ƙwarewa ta musamman, fahimtar ƙwararru da ikon ƙirƙira na masu ƙirƙirar su. Ana sa ran zanen Modu Motar Birni ya zama ƙirƙira da ake girmamawa sosai, ake sha'awa da ƙauna wacce ke da amfani kuma mai sababbin abubuwa. Wannan zane da ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Baƙin Ƙarfe yana haɗa mafi kyawun ayyukan fannin kuma yana da halayen fasaha masu cancanta da ke da alaƙa da sanin yadda da baiwa. Ana girmama zanen Modu Motar Birni saboda cikakkiyar kulawarsa kuma an tsara shi don ba da ingantuwar rayuwa da ke taimakawa wajen mai da duniya wuri mafi kyau.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Modu is designed around modularity and interchangeability of components. It can be configured both at purchase and later as the need changes without buying a new vehicle. Modu introduces the concept of interchangeability, for instance, the left and right headlights are identical, the driving mirrors, the front and back bumpers, even the drive system and chassis system. This significantly reduces the manufacturing cost, energy and subsequently a smaller environmental footprint.
Dimensions & Packaging: Modu is modular so the dimension will vary base on the configuration. Minimum configuration 1.8m length x 0.85m width x 1.5m height
Electric drivetrain, In-wheel electric motor, air suspension, laser cut and bent anodized aluminum body panels.
Tags: Modular, City Car, Urban Mobility, Sustainable Design, Electric Vehicle, Interchangeable Components, Lightweight, Innovative, Compact, Energy Efficient, Flexible
Production Technology: The design of Modu was made possible through Design Thinking. Early ideas were captured via sketching, white boarding and sticky notes to capture critical features. These ideas were then refined through peer interviews and feedback. Iterative sketches led to CAD modeling in Siemens NX, with FDM 3D printing to validating key technical features. Realistic renderings in Keyshot and composition in Photoshop were used to visualize the vehicle and its potential use cases.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was combining complete modularity with aesthetics and structural integrity, a tough balance since these often conflict. The inspiration for Modu's exoskeleton design is from military vehicles, this simplified the design and reduced part count. Additionally, making the parts interchangeable was a challenge but crucial, for instance the left and right headlights are interchangeable, even driving mirrors, the bumpers, the drive system and many other components.
Research: Extensive academic research on urban mobility trends, material options, and advanced manufacturing, combined with user-centered design principles, drove Modu’s development. Informal interviews and digital prototypes captured local transportation insights and spurred iterative refinements. This research and feedback validated the need for a sustainable, adaptable vehicle, guiding design choices toward superior modularity, energy efficiency, and operational versatility.
Inspiration: I grew up in Ghana, West Africa where transportation continues to be an issue. Seeing first hand the potential of a highly optimized vehicle to impact lives, I was inspired to design a brilliant yet affordable solutions. Modu is designed to give the customer absolute freedom to configure the vehicle at the time of purchase and even later as their need changes without needing to buy a completely new car.
Project Duration: Project started in August 2024 in San Jose California and finished in January 2025
Operation Flow: The unique experience of this vehicle to starts right with the purchasing experience; The customer will configure the new Modu on an online platform where key elements such as size, specific modules and intended use can be chosen.
the vehicle is then delivered after a few days due to the ease of customization.
Operating Modu will be extremely easy with the ability to use the smartphone as a dashboard hence all the users music , frequently visited locations, contacts, etc all comes along for the ride on seamless experience.