Flemish start-up offers ultimate driving experience through ground-breaking technological innovation.
Flemish start-up offers ultimate driving experience through ground-breaking technological innovation.
Driving a vehicle that combines the thrill of a motorbike with the luxury of a sports car and gives both driver and passenger a sensational feeling that can only be experienced in the cockpit of a jet plane? It will soon be possible with the innovative tilting vehicle developed by Kerv Automotive, an ambitious Flemish start-up that has been working on the development of its Kerv STV since 2016.
STV stands for Slim Tilting Vehicle. For this, the Kerv has a unique hydraulic tilting system that combines a ground-breaking technological innovation with a sensational driving experience. The Kerv's cabin tilts along in the curves, just like a motorbike. The system absorbs all lateral forces so that the vehicle glides seamlessly through every bend and you remain perfectly balanced at all times. In other words, the Kerv takes you on a true driving adventure, bend by bend, creating a new level of driving dynamics that conventional sports cars cannot offer.
Kerv EV
Kerv Automotive sees the future as electric and wants to contribute to the transformation to a green and sustainable mobility. Therefore, they will build a Kerv EV with an electric powertrain even before the market launch. In cooperation with Flanders Make, an INNOVATION BOOSTING project has been initiated to optimise and validate the tilting mechanism, steering system and control design for this electric variant. Independent control of the rear wheels, known as torque vectoring, will accelerate the steering response and improve vehicle dynamics. In addition, weight is being saved and the electric variant will have a battery pack with fast charging feature and a range of more than 200 km.
Innovation Boosting
Do you, like Kerv Automotive, want to acquire the necessary technological knowledge in a very simple and accessible way by making use of the expertise and infrastructure of the extensive Flanders Make network? Then check out our INNOVATION BOOSTING offer. Moreover, the ‘Flemish Innovation and Entrepreneurship Agency’ (VLAIO) supports this offer through subsidies that significantly lower the innovation thresholds – especially for small companies.
Finally, I would like to refer to our recent blog article Working together to accelerate innovation: 4 good reasons to go for it, in which our CEO Dirk Torfs gives 4 reasons not to miss the innovation train.
Experiences of Arjan Voorbij
Arjan Voorbij, CEO of Kerv Automotive, shared his top 6 of interesting experiences during the Inspiration session ‘Growth and innovation for your SME’:
- Together with its partners, the Flemish innovation landscape offers a healthy climate for new ideas.
- Companies have to continuously assess whether they still have the right competences available internally.
- Test in time whether the market is still 'in' for your product or service and maintain or adjust the momentum.
- Start acquiring funds early and look for a partner if necessary. It requires a lot of energy and shifts the focus to an area that does not suit many people.
- Make sure you have a strong business plan and test the impact of its critical factors on the whole.
- Have confidence in yourself and certainly also in the people that put you to the test, because they too want your project to succeed.
Thanks Arjan and good luck with the market launch of Kerv!
