Gordon Murray Design is continuing the development of the iStream design and manufacturing process aiming at reducing cost, complexity, carbon footprint, and the overall weight of the product. The team is presenting the Motiv Quadricycle and another EV chassis built with iStream technology at the 2021 Cenex-LCV show in Millbrook, UK.
According to Gordon Murray Design, the iStream technology reduces the overall weight of a typical family car by over 20 percent and the number of components needed to make up body panels by over 50 percent while increasing rigidity. Moreover, the iStream’s systems can be used in a variety of vehicles, from electric quadricycles to mid-engined sportscars, and even ICE-powered large luxury SUVs or light commercial vehicles.
The Motiv is a fully electric and autonomous-ready quadricycle concept that was launched in early 2020, developed in collaboration with Innovate UK. Before that, Gordon Murray had presented several other city cars like the Shell Concept Car in 2016, the Yamaha Motiv.e in 2013, and the T.25 / T.27 in 2010, all designed under the same principles. Despite being classified as a quadricycle like the Citroën Ami, Opel Rocks-e, Mobilize EZ-1, and Microlino 2.0, the Motiv is “designed and built to comply with crash regulations for mainstream passenger cars”, and comes equipped with features like ABS, climate control, large-screen infotainment, upward swinging doors, and a battery pack “twice as large as similar vehicles”.
Besides the Motiv platform, Gordon Murray Design is also showcasing a similar-sized iStream eQuadricycle rolling platform. This one measures 2.5 m in length and weighs 400 kg. The battery is offering a range of 225 km and can charge from 10-80 percent of capacity in 40 minutes. Jean-Philippe Launberg, Strategy and Business Director at Gordon Murray Design, explained: “Our innovative manufacturing processes delivers 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.”
