Gordon Murray Design Reveals T.25, a Low-Carbon City Car Developed Using the Innovative iStream(R) Manufacturing Process

iStream(R) leads to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions over the lifecycle of vehicles produced using this technology

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Gordon Murray Design

Jun 28, 2010, 07:55 ET

MENLO PARK, Calif. and SHALFORD, England, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Gordon Murray Design showed today for the first time its T.25 City Car at Oxford University as part of the Smith School's World Forum on Enterprise and the Environment validating a low-carbon approach to transportation. The T.25 represents a major breakthrough in city car design in the areas of weight, footprint, safety, usability and efficiency.

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Gordon Murray Design's pioneering vehicle packaging and lightweight design offers solutions to multiple urban mobility problems, such as congestion and parking concerns, while at the same time its unique iStream® manufacturing process reduces full lifecycle CO2 damage and increases production efficiencies.

"Our transportation sector is hugely dependent on fossil fuels and we need to de-fossilise our economy as quickly as possible," said Sir David King, Founding Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. "The T.25 and iStream® manufacturing processes are clear examples of what's possible in low-carbon transportation."

The T.25 car program can support a variety of power trains and fuels. First markets are likely to be in Europe and Asia.

"The iStream® process used to produce the T.25 is a complete re-think on high volume materials, as well as the manufacturing process and offers a significant reduction in CO2 emissions over the lifecycle of the vehicles produced using it, compared with conventional ones," said CEO Gordon Murray. "The simplified assembly process means that an assembly 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%."

Jonathan Feiber, a board member and general partner with Silicon Valley venture capital firm Mohr Davidow Ventures, added, "The iStream® process allows licensing partners to set new standards in low-carbon automotive manufacturing environmental impact, cost and efficiency."

About Gordon Murray Design

Gordon Murray Design was established in 2007 to develop an innovative and disruptive automotive manufacturing technology trademarked iStream®. The design and prototyping of the T.25 city car was central to both the development and validation of iStream®. For more information, visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com

About Mohr Davidow Ventures

Mohr Davidow Ventures is a leading Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm investing in entrepreneurs building start-up companies capable of re-segmenting large existing markets or building altogether new ones. The firm invests in the areas of Cleantech, Information Technology and Life Sciences. Since its inception in 1983 the firm has built a reputation among entrepreneurs as a partner by taking a hands-on approach to investments and working skillfully to architect and build successful companies. The firm has $2 billion under management. For more information, visit www.mdv.com.

iStream® advantages include:

Low capital investment / fast return on investment.
Lightweight.
Low energy manufacturing.
Ultra safe structure.
Flexible product design.
Long life chassis.
Low cost variants.
Recycled materials.
Reduced distribution costs and damage.
Low cost accident repair.
Flexible body in white tooling.
Small footprint production plant.
De-centralised manufacturing and assembly opportunities.
Quiet and clean plants.
No paint plant at BIW assembly plant.
Rapid vehicle assembly.
Low capital investment in tooling.

T.25: A New Class of Vehicle

The T.25 represents a major breakthrough in City Car design and is a vehicle that has been optimized through design for strength, performance, weight, cost, safety, usability, tooling, quality, energy efficiency, recyclable and ease of assembly.
The inclusion of Formula 1 derived materials philosophy and technology coupled with chassis frame design ('Direct Load Path') provides an exceptionally strong structure ('safety cell') both in 'end' and 'side' impact scenarios. This is also designed to meet the cost targets of high volume production.
Centralized driving instrumentation and controls are designed to maximize drive control, and the central driving position generates: A unique, 'cool' and fun driving experience, promotes safety and ease of parking as a result of excellent all-round visibility and road awareness, the opportunity to offer a single-seater option with retrofit bolt-in rear seats, class-leading rear passenger leg room.
Six internal layout options with rear seat adjustment (adjustable within 20 seconds) sets new standards in small vehicle packaging – a long way in front of the Smart For 2 and the Toyota iQ.
First car in class to feature lightweight, low-cost independent rear suspension.
Flat under-floor improves aerodynamic efficiency.
Class-leading vehicle dynamics.
The T.25 external dimensions create the opportunity to: park at 90 degrees to the curb, offering real consumer benefits, park up to 3 cars in one parallel parking space - giving rise to lower parking charges. reduce the environmental impact of vehicle manufacture (ie: lower material content etc) and day-to-day operation.
By virtue of the unique door opening system, the T.25 can: be parked in very close proximity to other objects and still allow occupants to enter and exit the vehicle, allow occupants access from both sides of the vehicle, allow easy access to the driver's seat and easy access to the rear child seats.
The ultra lightweight by design (approximately 550kg) means that: component life is increased, reduced energy is required to power vehicle, giving rise to higher fuel efficiency (mpg/electric battery range), a competitive power to weight ratio is achieved.
Positioning of the gas tank allows refueling from either side of the vehicle.
Occupant capacity of between 1 and 3 persons. Luggage capacity of between 160 liters and 720 liters.
The T.25 has the potential to be first to market for a new "World Car Class" for efficient vehicles, demonstrating new levels of efficiency and low emissions.