Gordon Murray Design (GMD), the company founded by the legendary designer of the McLaren F1 and many other road and racing cars, has revealed more details about its iStream design and manufacturing process.
Described as being “perfectly suited to future electric vehicles,” the weight-saving iStream technology can be applied to a wider range of vehicles, reducing the overall weight of a typical family car by over 20%. It can also be applied to other forms of mobility, including some segments of electrified aviation.
The first application of the iStream technology is the all-electric Motiv Quadricycle (see gallery below) unveiled by Gordon Murray Design last year. The autonomous-ready vehicle is on display this week at the LCV Cenex show in Milbrook, UK.
Besides weight-saving, the iStream vehicle design and manufacturing process is said to to have “huge benefits to the performance, cost, and efficiency of future electrified vehicles.”
According to GMD, iStream can be applied to various vehicles with every form of powertrain, from an electric quadricycle, a mid-engined sports car, to a petrol-powered large luxury SUV or light commercial vehicle.
However, it’s especially applicable to EVs, which typically struggle with keeping overall vehicle weight to a minimum because of their hefty batteries. GMD says that iStream is a cost-effective way to develop lightweight vehicles, with the manufacturing processes reducing the number of components needed to make up body panels by 50%, while delivering more rigidity.
The latter has benefits for safety, refinement and chassis dynamics, and outstanding durability. Additionally, the use of recycled fibre composite panels can reduce weight further. The iStream approach enables both low energy manufacturing and driving requirements, delivering “a substantial cradle-to-grave CO2 footprint reduction.”
“iStream’s expanded portfolio means that it is now the answer to many questions for many mobility companies. Not least how do you keep the weight of an electric vehicle to a minimum? Our innovative manufacturing processes deliver many benefits for automotive manufacturers wanting to create, develop and make low- to mid-volume cars and commercial vehicles that can’t be profitably manufactured with their existing methodologies and footprint. It’s a unique and cost-effective way for global manufacturers to improve performance and efficiency in a sustainable way.”
Jean-Philippe Launberg, Strategy and Business Director, Gordon Murray Design
Besides the Motiv Quadricycle, GMD’s stand at LCV Cenex also features a bonded metal-composite platform for a similar vehicle. Dubbed the iStream eQuadricycle rolling platform, it is just 2.5 meters (98.4 inches) in length, weighs less than 400 kg (882 lbs), and has a range of 140 miles (225 km), making it ideal for errands and commutes. Charging the battery from 10% to 80% capacity takes only 40 minutes.
GMD claims that a production car based on this platform would require far less investment and have a lower environmental impact than a similar car designed and manufactured using conventional methods.
