British electric vehicle firm Gevco has revealed a new ‘white label’ design for electric cars which can achieve up to an impressive 430 mile range.
In collaboration with international automotive engineering and testing firm, MIRA, the new design is planned to form the base for a range of electric cars by 2015.
Called i-Mav (short for ‘I must have’), the design is the result of an intensive six month programme of work by the two companies to harness their combined EV expertise to engineer a ‘clean sheet’ solution to personal low carbon urban transportation.
The i-Mav is designed to suit manufacture in any market around the world, meeting global homologation requirements. It also incorporates several technologies never seen on a production vehicle before including an Electro-Magnetic Geared motor that requires no gearbox – reducing cost, weight and complexity – and a unique aluminium-air battery that is significantly cheaper to produce, yet delivers higher energy density than any currently on the market, giving i-Mav an amazing range of 430 miles (NEDC).
Jonathan Hunt, MIRA’s Senior Global Sales Manager for EV & HEV commented: “i-Mav is one the most technologically advanced EVs currently in development. Designed from the ground up for electric traction (not an adapted petrol derivative) i-Mav incorporates technologies that will make it competitive with conventionally powered vehicles in quality, cost, design and safety terms.”
The i-Mav is 135mm shorter and 126kg lighter than a Toyota iQ yet capable of seating four adults (2x 6’ 2” and 2x 5’ 10”) in comfort, yet delivers a four-star Euro NCAP rating (based on 2012 requirements) thanks to an innovative, platform with the flexibility to support future commercial or roadster variants.
GEVCO Ltd founder and CEO Steve Woolley explains: “The company’s innovative business model presents an opportunity for new entrants to the EV sector to leap-frog the established automotive businesses in their own markets.
“The i-Mav and our ‘white label’ approach reduce the main barriers to market entry – set-up costs and risk – through a business model that facilitates ‘technology transfer’ and enables any major international corporation to assemble, distribute and sell a competitive market-ready vehicle under their own-brand.
Having unveiled i-Mav, the GEVCO/MIRA team is now entering the next exciting phase of its plan – working with a number of partner companies to produce two operational demonstrator vehicles that will bring the concept to life.
