Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive Announce Plans for Electric City Car Program

Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive Announce Plans for Electric City Car
Program
A new electric city car targeted for Britain using iStream(R), an innovative
and sustainable production process

LONDON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive today
announced an all-electric 3-seater city car, made possible through a 4.5m
pounds Sterling (US $7.48M) investment from the UK-backed Technology Strategy
Board. With a total cost of 9m pounds Sterling (US $14.9M), a new research
and development project will allow the consortium to develop four prototypes
by February 2011.

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The 16-month project has several goals: to further explore the possibility of
scaling up and building a manufacturing facility in the UK, with the ultimate
goal of producing the T.27 in Britain; to keep the new technology and
intellectual property rights within the UK; and to make this affordable, fun
and environmentally friendly car available for purchase.

Professor Gordon Murray, Chief Executive and Technical Director of Gordon
Murray Design said, "As we head towards the new industrial revolution brought
about by rising energy costs and concern over the effects of green house
gases, we at Gordon Murray Design feel proud to be working with the Technology
Strategy Board in helping the UK play a leading role in tackling the issues we
all face."

Vehicle manufacturers in the UK have to adapt to strict new EU emissions
targets of 130g/km in 2012 that are to be placed on their fleets.

The T.27 will be the world's most efficient electric car due to its low weight
and 'clean sheet of paper design'. This ambitious target cannot be achieved
by applying a conventional stamped steel construction design, nor with a
drivetrain using existing gearboxes, motors or batteries. Instead, an entirely
fresh approach is proposed that accepts no compromise in safety, performance,
range, space, weight, rolling resistance and ride quality. By applying
iStream® methodology to the T.27, a new manufacturing process developed by
Gordon Murray Design, and fully integrating it with a custom-designed
lightweight, highly efficient drivetrain from Zytek, every aspect of the
vehicle can be optimized. This holistic approach results in a car slightly
smaller than a Smart, but with more interior space.

Murray added, "The iStream® manufacturing process behind the T.25 and T.27 is
all about sustainable, low energy process by design. The T.27 program is a
great opportunity for us and our partners to create what will be the world's
most efficient electric vehicle. An opportunity to start from a clean sheet
of paper combined with our disruptive manufacturing technology will result in
a product which truly pushes the boundaries of urban vehicle design and
further protecting our mobility."

A similar approach was used by Gordon Murray Design for a 3-seater
gasoline-powered car (T.25) which is receiving significant market interest.
The T.25 program provides confidence that the T.27 aims are 100% achievable.
T.27 will also set new standards in environmental sustainability. High level
life cycle analysis derived from T.25 data predicts life-cycle emissions 63%
less than the average car and, for the T.27 life-cycle, emissions 27% less
than the nearest EV rival, which is partly due to the iStream® manufacturing
approach. Rival compact city car EVs do not simultaneously address all of the
factors noted above and so this combination of attributes addresses a
substantial market opportunity.

Zytek has designed and integrated electric drive systems for a wide range of
European and US vehicle manufacturers and is currently building high
performance electric drivetrains up to 70kW and 300Nm for cars, buses and
light commercial vehicles. The T.27 focuses on 'efficient performance' with
all aspects of the drivetrain designed to maximise efficiency and minimise
weight. The motor, power electronics and gearbox will form a single, highly
integrated unit designed specifically for the performance requirements of the
T.27, but offering scalability to heavier vehicles as required.

The T.27 is a sustainable vehicle, which means that it has been designed in a
way that minimizes the use of materials and keeps the embedded carbon that is
present throughout the life cycle of the vehicle as low as possible. The goal
is to ensure that the environmental impact of the materials and energy that
are used are as low as can be. The iStream production process is also highly
efficient and flexible to minimize the cost of production.

"Gordon has succeeded in building a consortium that shares his commitment to
transforming how we design, source, engineer, manufacture and bring to market
new automobiles," said Gordon Murray Design board member and MDV General
Partner Jonathan Feiber. "This program is innovative in every sense of the
word. It marks a turning point in what's possible for city cars."

About Gordon Murray Design

Gordon Murray Design Limited is a new British company operating from Shalford
in Surrey. The company aims to be the world leader in automotive design and
reverses the current industry trend for sub-contracting by having a complete
in-house capability for design, prototyping and development. The company will
remain compact and focused and will undertake automotive and other engineering
programmes in an efficient and innovative way. Silicon Valley-based venture
capital firm MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures is an investor. For more information
please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com.

About Zytek Automotive

Zytek Automotive Limited is a British engineering company with a reputation
for success, pursued both on and off the track. Its substantial automotive
engineering experience has been gained by providing major vehicle
manufacturers with advanced powertrain and chassis control systems. This
expertise led to the rapid growth of its engineering consultancy business, and
most recently, to the design, development and manufacture of innovative Hybrid
and Electric drivetrains. For more information please visit
www.zytekgroup.co.uk.

About Technology Strategy Board

The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led executive non-departmental
public body, established by the British government. Its role is to promote and
support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and
innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic
growth and improve the quality of life. It is sponsored by the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). For more information please visit
www.innovateuk.org.

SOURCE Gordon Murray Design; MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures

Tiffany Hutt of Gordon Murray Design, +44 01483 484700,
tiffany.hutt@gordonmurraydesign.com; or Richard Gotch, +44 1295 277050, or +44
7831 569732, richard.gotch@m-eng.com, for Zytek Automotive; or Pamela Mahoney
of MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures, +1-650-854-7236, pmahoney@mdv.com