After the T.25, a tiny city car designed to reduce congestion and the environmental impact of motor vehicles, the Gordon Murray Design company has just released more details on a fully-electric version called the T.27.
Using a 25-kilowatt (or 34-horsepower) motor and a Li-ion battery, the T.27 weighs in at 1,500 pounds or 680 kilograms, and is said to reach 100 km/h in less than 15 seconds. The car’s top speed of 105 km/h is achieved not long after that.
More importantly, the T.27’s range is expected to be between 128 and 160 kilometres.
The powertrain is provided by Zytek Automotive, a UK-based firm that started out in 1982 by producing engine-management systems, and has been producing electric drivetrains since 1994.
Using iStream®, a low energy manufacturing system developed by GMD, the company should be able to keep production costs down and allow them to build the T.25 and electric T.27 in the same assembly plant.
The T.27 stores its battery and management system under the cockpit, while the transmission and air-cooled motor are connected to the rear wheels. With a wheelbase of 1,780 mm, a length of 2,500 mm and a width of 1,300 mm, Gordon Murray’s creation is slightly smaller than a smart fortwo but can seat three passengers.
A running prototype should be completed by April 2011. GMD is also seeking a UK partner to build the car in its homeland and create 6,000 jobs.
Using a 25-kilowatt (or 34-horsepower) motor and a Li-ion battery, the T.27 weighs in at 1,500 pounds or 680 kilograms, and is said to reach 100 km/h in less than 15 seconds. The car’s top speed of 105 km/h is achieved not long after that.
More importantly, the T.27’s range is expected to be between 128 and 160 kilometres.
 |
| Photo: Gordon Murray Design |
The powertrain is provided by Zytek Automotive, a UK-based firm that started out in 1982 by producing engine-management systems, and has been producing electric drivetrains since 1994.
Using iStream®, a low energy manufacturing system developed by GMD, the company should be able to keep production costs down and allow them to build the T.25 and electric T.27 in the same assembly plant.
The T.27 stores its battery and management system under the cockpit, while the transmission and air-cooled motor are connected to the rear wheels. With a wheelbase of 1,780 mm, a length of 2,500 mm and a width of 1,300 mm, Gordon Murray’s creation is slightly smaller than a smart fortwo but can seat three passengers.
A running prototype should be completed by April 2011. GMD is also seeking a UK partner to build the car in its homeland and create 6,000 jobs.