NEXT modular vehicles

What NEXT modular vehicles does

NExT S.R.L. (operating as NEXT modular vehicles) is an Italian privately-held company headquartered in Padova that develops modular electric urban vehicles capable of physically docking and undocking while in motion. The core NX platform comprises 3.40-meter pod units that can travel independently or form convoys of up to five pods, with variants including the NX VISION shuttle (up to 9 seats + driver) and the NX VERO lounge (premium hospitality configuration). Inter-vehicle passenger transfer occurs through shared doors without passengers exiting, eliminating fixed-hub transfers. Founder and CEO Tommaso Gecchelin, drawing on physics research at the University of Padova, established the technology with a 2015 patent application (US Patent 11,535,314 granted 2022), now patented across Europe, the United States, China, and the Middle East. The company has three locations: Padova (HQ and R&D), Dubai (regional), and Shanghai (production facility inaugurated May 2026).

NExT monetizes through four revenue streams: (1) hardware sales of NX Pods (VISION and VERO configurations) via quote-based multi-year enterprise contracts; (2) software subscriptions for the NExT suite including the MaaS Platform/FLEET ORCHESTRATOR, DYNASIM (2,000 Hz deterministic vehicle dynamics simulator), HOMOLOGATION COPILOT (ISO 26262 AI compliance tool), and SMART BOM (CAD-integrated bill-of-materials management); (3) professional services for fleet simulation studies and homologation support; and (4) paid dedicated network studies for fleet operators. Go-to-market is exclusively B2B enterprise through invitation-only Experience Days at the Padova HQ, augmented by flagship event appearances (VivaTech Paris 2026, World Government Summit, Yas Marina Circuit). Target customer segments span hospitality and luxury hotels, brand and experiential marketing clients (notably L'Oréal at Expo Dubai), corporate clients, public transit operators and fleet managers, and OEMs and engineering firms licensing the simulation and compliance software.

The technology is validated by 95 peer-reviewed publications from 70+ academic institutions and has received Solar Impulse Efficient Solution certification, UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 certification, and road homologation. Quantified performance claims include up to -80% traffic reduction, -60% CO2 per passenger versus electric buses, and -52% vehicle travel costs versus on-demand services. L4 autonomous driving is in development alongside today's manual-drive operations.

Name

NEXT modular vehicles

Legal name

NExT S.R.L.

Website

https://get-next.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NExT S.R.L. (NEXT modular vehicles) is an Italian company that builds modular electric pods capable of docking in motion for passenger transfer, selling hardware and a fleet-simulation software suite to transit operators, luxury hotels, brands, and engineering firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Urban Mobility Vehicles

NAICS

Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (33699), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

V2X On-Board Units (OBUs) & Vehicle Connectivity Modules (TLAJAHAB)

Keywords

• Modular electric vehicles
• Fleet management software
• Mobility as a service
• Vehicle dynamics simulation
• Homologation compliance software

Headquarters

HQ city

Padova

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. NX Pod Sales: Sale of modular electric vehicle pods (NX VISION shuttle and NX VERO lounge configurations) to fleet operators, hospitality providers, and corporate clients. Multiple seating layouts and customization options available.
2. Software Licenses (MaaS Platform & Suite): Subscription-based access to NExT software suite including MaaS Platform, DYNASIM, HOMOLOGATION COPILOT, and SMART BOM. Tiered offerings for operators, OEMs, engineering firms, and research institutions.
3. Fleet Management Services: Ongoing fleet orchestration, simulation studies, and operational consulting for deployed fleets. Demo is free; dedicated network studies are paid services.
4. Simulation & Certification Services: Custom simulation studies using DYNASIM for specific road geometries, WLTP cycles, and HARA scenarios. Homologation support services for type approval processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NExT develops and sells the NX Pod, a road-legal electric modular vehicle platform offered in VISION (shuttle) and VERO (lounge) variants. Each pod can travel alone or dock with up to four others in motion, allowing passengers to transfer between modules through intervehicular doors without exiting. The hardware is paired with a software suite — NExT MaaS Platform (FLEET ORCHESTRATOR), DYNASIM, HOMOLOGATION COPILOT and SMART BOM — for fleet orchestration, simulation, certification and BOM management.

Product overview

NEXT modular vehicles offers a modular electric vehicle platform (NX) complemented by a four-tool software suite. The NX Pod (VISION shuttle and VERO lounge variants) provides the core modular vehicle capable of in-motion coupling/decoupling. The software portfolio includes: NExT SMART BOM for design and supplier management, NExT DYNASIM for vehicle dynamics simulation, NExT HOMOLOGATION COPILOT for certification support, and NExT FLEET ORCHESTRATOR (the NExT MaaS Platform) for fleet operations. The MaaS Platform orchestrates demand-responsive modular transit with the pods, while the engineering tools support the full vehicle lifecycle from design through homologation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NExT MaaS Platform: Modularity as a Service - fleet simulation and management software platform for modular pod fleets
• NExT SMART BOM
• NExT DYNASIM
• NExT HOMOLOGATION COPILOT
• NExT FLEET ORCHESTRATOR
• NX VISION
• NX VERO

Products and services

• NX Pod Platform (VISION and VERO variants) Road-legal electric modular vehicle platform; each 3.40m unit travels alone or docks to up to four others in motion. VISION is the shuttle configuration (M2 Class A/B with up to 9 seats plus driver and ~900-litre baggage space); VERO is the lounge configuration with Eames chairs, 43 OLED display, minibar and bespoke interiors. Available in M2 Class A (9 seats + 7 standing + driver), M2 Class B (9 seats + driver) and M1 City Lounge (4 premium seats) layouts. CCS2 charging, 88 kWh LFP battery, ~300 km range, manual drive today with L4 autonomous driving in development. Sold to fleet operators, hospitality providers and corporate clients.
• NExT FLEET ORCHESTRATOR (NExT MaaS Platform) Modularity-as-a-Service platform for planning, simulating and managing modular vehicle fleets. Features role-based access (HQ, Region, Operator, Fleet Manager), real-time dispatch, generative origin-destination demand simulation, agentic AI for natural language fleet control (e.g. repositioning fleets for event peaks), and comparative Capex/Opex business intelligence. Sold to cities, fleet operators and mobility planners on annual subscription.
• NExT DYNASIM Browser-based physics vehicle dynamics digital twin running at 2,000 Hz with deterministic bit-level reproducibility. Includes Pacejka tire models, CAD-derived suspension geometry, calibrated coupling mechanics, ISO 26262 HARA fault injection scenarios, WLTP cycle support and FMI 2.0 export for Simulink integration. Plans for individuals, academia/schools and companies; annual subscription.
• NExT HOMOLOGATION COPILOT AI-powered homologation dossier builder that generates ISO 26262:2018 HARA scenarios, proposes ASIL decompositions and mitigations, and outputs test protocols for UN R79 and UN R155 type approval. Architecture Editor for system design, automated HARA scenario generation and test protocol generation. Custom pricing based on system architecture complexity and functional safety scope coverage; annual subscription.
• NExT SMART BOM Browser-based CAD viewer with semantic X-ray component navigation, AI-powered extraction of prices and minimum order quantities from supplier PDFs, ERP synchronization with Gantt propagation for costs and timelines, and quality-control evidence capture on the production floor. Pricing based on BOM component count and complexity; annual subscription.
• Experience Day Invitation-only live experience at Padova headquarters where prospective customers ride the NX pod and witness modular docking operations firsthand, including a personalized route. Primary customer acquisition touchpoint for hospitality, corporate, brand and operator prospects.
• Network Simulation Study Paid dedicated network simulation study using DYNASIM and the MaaS Platform for a specific operator network; covers route geometries, WLTP cycles, HARA scenarios and demand simulation. Free demo available; custom quote per study scope.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to -80% generated traffic through modular form factor and occupancy optimization
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability12 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Solar Impulse FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar Impulse Foundation certified NExT as an Efficient Solution. Independent peer-reviewed validation of environmental efficiency claims including -80% traffic reduction and -60% CO2 per passenger. Certification process validates technology against rigorous scientific criteria.
• L'OréalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerL'Oréal selected NExT pods for retail experience in motion deployment at Expo Dubai. Pioneering brand partnership for mobile retail activation. Demonstrates pod viability for premium brand experiences.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• REE Automotive: Develops a modular 'skateboard' EV platform with corner-modules that can be reconfigured across vehicle types. Directly comparable to NExT's modular architecture philosophy applied to commercial EVs, with overlapping B2B fleet positioning.
• Arrival: Electric vehicle OEM focused on B2B transit and last-mile delivery vans using a microfactory model. Comparable on the EV-for-transit-and-fleets thesis; Arrival provides a cautionary precedent on the capital-intensity of scaling an EV OEM targeting transit operators.
• BestMile: Fleet orchestration platform purpose-built for autonomous and on-demand shuttle operations, including dispatch, routing, and optimization. Comparable on the MaaS platform / fleet orchestration software layer that complements NExT's hardware.
• Local Motors / Olli: Developed Olli, an autonomous modular electric shuttle designed for low-speed urban and campus deployments. Most directly comparable to NExT on the modular-autonomous-shuttle product concept, though Local Motors pivoted and Olli is no longer in active production.

Broad incumbents

• Via Transportation: Ride-pooling and demand-responsive transit software platform serving transit agencies and operators globally. Comparable on the dynamic-pooling and DRT use cases NExT targets; differs by being software-only with no proprietary vehicle hardware.
• ZF Friedrichshafen: Global automotive supplier with active development of modular electric drivetrain and chassis concepts, plus autonomous shuttle systems. Comparable as a deep-tech incumbent exploring modular EV architectures and fleet solutions.
• Proterra: Leading North American electric bus OEM serving transit agencies with proven at-scale deployments. Comparable on the EV-transit-for-fleet-operators customer base; represents the established incumbent NExT's modular pod competes against for transit-agency wallet share.
• Toyota e-Palette: Toyota's modular autonomous vehicle platform designed for MaaS applications including mobility, retail, and services. Shares NExT's modular pod-as-a-service thesis and explicit brand-experience use cases, but backed by a Tier-1 OEM with substantially greater resources.

Others

• Moovit: Mobility-as-a-Service platform providing multimodal trip planning, routing, and journey orchestration for transit agencies and users. Adjacent comparator on the MaaS / multimodal trip planning taxonomy where NExT's platform sits.

Emerging players

• Einride: Swedish operator of autonomous electric pods for freight, with a fleet management platform. Comparable on the electric-pod-plus-software-stack business model; focused on freight rather than passenger transit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-future-transportation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NEXT modular vehicles