Gordon Murray’s T27 Electric Car

Gordon Murray's T25 - still under wraps

Back in March we reported on a new small car concept from Gordon Murray Design – the T25 – which GMD said was a new way forward in small cars. A concept that was to be licensed to manufacturers around the world to build their own version based on the GMD concept and their simplified iStream manufacturing process. And now we have news that Gordon Murray is busy creating the T27, an electric version of the T25 concept which Murray says will be the most efficient electric vehicle on earth.

What we don’t have is any real depth of detail. But Gordon Murray’s ideas do have a lot of credibility. He’s raised £4.5 million with a grant from the Technology Strategy Board and Murray, together with tech company Zytec – who are building the powertrain – are stumping up a further £4.5 million to get the T27 project on the go.

What we do know is that the T27 is likely to be a T25 with electric bits. Those electric bits – motor, inverter, lithium-ion batteries etc. – will add to the weight of the T27, but it will still be a featherweight at around 750kg, which adds credence to Murray’s claims that the T27 will be the most efficient vehicle on earth.

And the T27, like the T25, will be sold to third party manufacturers to be built around the world using the iStream process which eliminates the need for expensive stamping processes. Murray sees companies like Apple and Virgin building and delivering their own versions of the T25 and T27 – The iCar; The VirginMobile.

Another interesting and innovative concept from GMD. And it’s not just innovative, but practical. GMD are producing cars for City environments. Cheap to build; cheap to run and with the sort of range that suits the Urban Environment – 60 or 70 miles.

GMD reckon to have 4 prototypes running in the next 16 months and Murray hopes to see the first iStream process up and running in the UK in the near future.

By Cars UK