Gordon Murray Announces Specs and Performance Target for Electric T.27 City Car
29 May 2010
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| The three major elements of the third-generation Zytek EV powertrain are the inverter and powertrain related electronics (top), the transmission (middle) and the air-cooled motor (right). This is the configuration that will power the T.27 electric city car concept. Click to enlarge. |
Gordon Murray Design has announced the specification and performance targets for the T.27 City Car, a pure electric drive vehicle designed to fully optimize packaging, weight and performance. (Earlier post.) The T.27 is being developed by a consortium led by Gordon Murray, with Zytek Automotive Limited. Technical support will be provided by Michelin Plc and Continental Corporation and sub-contractors will include MIRA Limited, Vocis Driveline Controls, VCA UK, and ENAX.
The T.27 is powered by a third-generation Zytek powertrain with a 25 kW motor (earlier post) and a 12 kWh Li-ion battery pack. Top speed for the vehicle is 105 km/h (65 mph), with acceleration from 0-100 km/h of less than 15 seconds. The vehicle has a range of 80-100 miles. Weight, including battery, is 680 kg (1,500 lbs).
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| Powertrain packaging for the T.27. Click to enlarge. |
Zytek worked closely with transmission specialist Vocis to develop a compact and light-weight transmission for the new EV powertrain.
Projected emissions, using a UK energy mix, are 48 g/km CO2 for the combined cycle and 28 g/km CO2 for the urban cycle alone, with zero emissions at the point of use. Full lifecycle CO2 damage will be 42% less than the average UK car, the partners said.
The T.27 vehicle concept closely follows the layout and geometry of Gordon Murray Design’s innovative T.25 city car, an MPV with 6 possible internal layouts.
The efficiency in cost, weight and performance comes in part from the ‘clean sheet of paper’ approach, part from the full integration of the powertrain and also from the low energy manufacturing system developed by Gordon Murray Design called iStream.
iStream reduces the capital investment required to produce the vehicle and also the energy required for manufacture plus the flexibility of the iStream process would also allow the gasoline-powered T.25 and the T.27 to be manufactured at the same plant.
The 16 month program started in November 2009 with a running prototype scheduled for completion in April 2011 and is supported with a 50% investment from the UK Technology Strategy Board.
The next phase in the program will include a push to secure partners and funding for UK manufacture. A UK partner or consortium to produce the city cars in the UK would keep the technology at home and could create 6,000 jobs, according to the company.
If it has 10 kWh useable, and the cDa of a brick, and a top speed of 65 mph, this is a commuter/town car so the price will need to reflect that. I still find it hard to believe they will get 10 miles per usable kWh, that would be phenomenal, but light weight cars bring a new look to the EV world, and 1500 pounds is a nice start. Since it has the smallest battery of any of the cars I have seen lately, it will probably be priced lower. If the MSRP is under $26k, the after credit price will be right around $20,000, which has a certain attraction. Plus if you buy it in CA you get other credits so this could sell quite rapidly if there are few competing options in production when it comes on line.
Posted by: Ziv | 30 May 2010 at 05:44 AM
I wish people in the US, not to mention the UK would embrace such cars, but common sense leads me to blindly assume that a sub-micro 2 place vehicle will see low sales volume and consequently have a high price.
Just like the fact that 30 miles electric only range is enough for the majority of auto usage, a sub micro 2 place vehicle is enough for many, at least in place of all those 2nd and 3rd cars.
Simple.
And if our roads were magically full of them, they would be vastly more "acceptable" because of safety, peer pressure etc - but alas that is not the case - Reality.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 30 May 2010 at 06:54 AM
When the Gulf(s) spew endless pollutent oil or/and the gas prices maintain doubling - then note Reality!
Posted by: kelly | 02 June 2010 at 04:27 PM