Gordon Murray's electric city car will be the world’s most efficient electric vehicle

British automotive entrepreneur Gordon Murray has released a stunning set of performance targets for his forthcoming T27 electric city car which, if achieved, will make it the world’s most efficient electric vehicle.

The car, an ultra-compact MPV with six different interior configurations, closely resembles Murray’s T25 petrol-powered city car.

See the Murray T27 tech pics, plus exclusive T25 spy pics

The electric T27 version is being developed as a partnership between Murray’s Guildford-based design company and Northampton-based Zytek Automotive, who are designing an all-new electric engine and gearbox.

The project is financed to the tune of £4.5 million, around 50 per cent, by the government’s Technology Strategy Board.

Murray T27 nears production Murray and Zytek’s Bill Gibson say T27’s low kerb weight of 680 kilograms, which includes the weight of its 25kW (33 bhp) engine, its single-speed gearbox and a 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack, should allow it a range of between 80 and 100 miles, a top speed around 66 mph, and a 0-62 mph acceleration time below 15 seconds.

Its CO2 footprint, which includes emissions from the power stations that provide its electric power at the outset, is just 48g/km on the combined cycle, and an astonishing 28 g/km on the city cycle alone (where emissions from petrol/diesel cars usually increase).

Murray claims the T27’s whole-of-life CO2 emissions will be 42 percent less than those of an average conventional car in the UK.

Murray T25: picture exclusive

The T27 programme, which has been running for 16 months, is on target to produce a fully driving prototype on April 2011.

Murray's T25 outspaces Smart

Murray and Zytek have already begun pushing to assemble partners and funding for full-scale manufacture in the UK, using the ultra-efficient iStream process which Murray has devised to eliminate the high tooling costs of conventional steel monocoque cars and greatly simplify the automotive manufacturing process. Murray intends that iStream — which can produce cars of many sizes and designs — should become a worldwide phenomenon, but says he would prefer the first application to be in the UK, to keep the technology at home and to create an estimated 6000 jobs.

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Overdrive 20 January 2011

Re: Murray T27: full tech details

Scottish Scrutineer wrote:

Many may take the opposite view and think that Autocar has too many articles about Ferraris, Aston Martins, Rolls Royces, Bentleys, etc. Supercars that are out of reach of most of us, or would be totally impractical for day to day driving in the UK.

I think it makes a change that a designer is getting support for a car that may change the way we view cars, and what we drive, in the not too distant future. Something like the T25/27, that is economical to drive and produce, low cost of ownership, fun to drive, practical in urban settings, sounds like a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

Ferraris, Aston Martins etc and even top end Mercs, BMWs may be out of people's reach, but they are on sale and available for people who can afford to buy them. So I see more justification for more articles on them than something like the T27, which may or may not even get into serious production.

Don't get me wrong, I like reading about vehicles like the T27 and I think it's right that the Autocar gives it space. But although the car has some innovative touches, I think it is being overhyped somewhat, as, to my eyes anyway, as a small electric vehicle it's not doing all that much that is not either already in the pipelines or soon will be.

carup008 20 January 2011

Re: Murray T27: full tech details

As a potential urban electric car, it just might work...but only if the cost is right! Would it be cheaper than, say, a renault twizy or peugeot bb1?

sierra 2 June 2010

Re: Murray T27: full tech details

The "other place" is reporting:

"The £5,000 discount scheme to encourage drivers to buy electric vehicles could be scrapped by as part of Westminster cost-cutting."

Plus Cameron's reply at PMQs today, will kick a lot of these EVs into the water