- New range of bus and train seats addresses the needs of passengers, mobility providers and society
- Ultra-lightweight construction and innovative design offers potential for sharp reductions in carbon emissions together with sustainability throughout the product life cycle
- Minimalism meets the need to lean: Focus on passenger comfort
Grammer AG, September 23, 2021 – Grammer is making urban passenger transportation fit for the 21st century with its Ubility One concept: comprising three seat models Ubility Light, Ubility Air and Ubility Shift, the innovative range points the way to urban mobility of the future with systematic lightweight construction, sustainable design, and high user comfort.
The name is both program and premiere: With Ubility One, a combination of the terms “urban” and “mobility”, Grammer is positioning itself as the first supplier of an integrated interior concept for tomorrow’s buses and trains. The range has its roots in the EU-funded “Shift2Rail” initiative, to which Grammer contributed a project study. “At the time, we used the lightweight seat study as a starting point for developing a future-proof concept for urban mobility to market readiness,” says Thorsten Seehars, CEO of Grammer AG. “With Ubility One, we are addressing the needs of all market participants, offering comfort to passengers, and efficiency and flexibility to OEMs and transport operators, while meeting society’s expectations with respect to sustainable, climate-neutral products.”
Innovation to the power of three: Air, Light, Shift
During the development of Ubility One the focus was on people and their utilization profiles in urban transportation. Among other things, the Grammer team considered recent studies of passenger flows and the resulting interior occupation zones: standing/leaning around entrances/exits, flexible seating options for high-change frequencies, and seating areas for passengers with longer travel times. Ubility Air, a lightweight seat using twin-sheet technology, was designed for the latter: the seat consists of an outer and inner shell, which are connected to form a comfortable yet highly stable air cushion structure. The ultra-light Ubility Light features innovative minimalism to meet requirements with regard to the flexible use of space in high-fluctuation interior zones: An aluminum seat frame consisting of exactly five components is covered with a high-tech textile, can be used in both directions of travel and is variably configurable. Finally, Ubility Shift is the next-generation solution for standing and leaning: Likewise featuring an ultra-lightweight design, the leaning and seating module offers a combination of padded, body-high supports for leaning as well as ergonomically configured grab handles. The support cushions feature clever kinematics that allow a small seat surface to extend out.
Sustainability in design, production, and operation
On its way towards becoming a Green Company, sustainability is a crucial aspect in all new developments for Grammer: Ubility One meets this requirement in terms of product design as well as the use of materials and service life. For example, the Ubility Light ultralight seat achieves a weight advantage of 60 percent compared with the seat shells commonly used today. This results in enormous potential for lowering carbon emissions in passenger rail transport: in European urban train transportation alone, the use of Ubility Light could help to avoid 130,000 tons of carbon per year. In addition, the complete product lifecycle of Ubility Light is designed with recyclability in mind and can be significantly extended through refit/refurbishment programs. The innovative Ubility Air double shell does not use any material mixtures, relying instead on a mono-material made from recycled materials. Consequently, the twin-sheet structure with air cushions is not only up to 100 percent recyclable, but also easy to clean and highly resistant to vandalism thanks to its impervious surface.
Addressing the mega trends of urbanization and individual mobility needs
“We are currently witnessing a profound transformation of individual mobility in urban and metropolitan regions,” says Seehars. For the Grammer CEO, this includes various forms of shared mobility, the boom in e-bikes and e-scooters and the growing use of semi or fully autonomous shuttles. According to Seehars, local public transport is in danger of losing its relevance in this mix of services. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has caused significant drops in the use of public transport, with many people switching back to private cars. “Right now, there is an opportunity for both OEMs and operators to give public transportation new appeal through attractive, sustainable transportation concepts that address passengers’ need for comfort and a certain degree of privacy,” says Seehars. “With Ubility One, we are taking a pioneering role here by offering concrete answers to these challenges.”
The manufacturing of the first models in the Ubility One product family is scheduled to commence at a European Grammer plant in 2023. With the market launch of Ubility One, Grammer is underscoring its position as a leading supplier of seating solutions for individual traffic and mass transport around the world. Active in this segment for more than 50 years, Grammer has been successfully equipping buses, trams and trains with driver and passenger seats since 1982.
Ubility One from Grammer: Learn more on www.grammer.com/en/ubility
Company profile:
Grammer AG, headquartered in Ursensollen, Germany, is active in two business segments: Grammer develops and supplies high-quality interior and operating systems as well as innovative thermoplastic components for the global automotive industry. For trucks, trains, buses, and off-road vehicles, Grammer is a full-service provider of driver and passenger seats. Currently, Grammer AG employs around 14,000 people in 20 countries worldwide, with sales of around 1.7 billion euros in 2020. Grammer shares are listed in the Prime Standard and traded on the Munich and Frankfurt stock exchanges as well as via the Xetra electronic trading system.