Gordon Murray Design’s small electric car , the T.27, has undergone crash testing to prove the safety of its construction using the firm’s innovative iStream manufacturing process.
The crash test was the mandatory EEC 40 per cent offset deformable barrier front high speed impact and was carried out by MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association). According to the firm the T.27 came through with flying colours with zero cabin intrusion and the measured results being extremely close to those predicted by computer simulation.
The strong result is a great endorsement for Gordon Murray Design’s iStream manufacturing system which delivers reduced weight and cost with increased levels of safety.
Frank Coppuck, Gordon Murray Design’s Engineering Director said: “This crash test represents a major milestone in vehicle safety and in the history of Gordon Murray Design. It clearly demonstrates that cars built using iStream technology can achieve low weight, cost and significant reductions in energy usage during manufacturing without compromising safety.”
The iStream® assembly process is a complete rethink of the traditional automotive manufacturing process. The simplified assembly process means that the manufacturing plant can be designed to be 20% of the size of a conventional factory. This could reduce capital investment in the assembly plant by approximately 80%. The streamlined manufacturing process could lead to a significant reduction in full lifecycle CO2 of cars built under its process.
The development of the T.27, by Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive Ltd, has been made possible through a £4.5m investment from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board. With a total cost of £9m, the consortium will develop running prototypes of the vehicle by Spring 2011.
