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Gordon Murray Group (GMG) has launched a new consortium project aimed at developing “ultra-lightweight” and “environmentally friendly” vehicle structures.
The project, named ‘Project M-LightEn’ (Monocoque architecture – Lightweight and Low Energy), seeks to create a new vehicle monocoque architecture that is 25% lighter and 50% less carbon-intensive over the next three years.
The initiative is supported by Innovate the UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), with key partners including Carbon ThreeSixty, Constellium, and Brunel University of London.
The project is expected to generate 160 new jobs and contribute approximately £150m in economic activity across the UK.
GMG will lead the consortium in researching, designing, building, and validating a series of digital and physical monocoque prototypes.
The project is set to develop solutions that pave the way for the industrialisation of new monocoque structures, which could be incorporated into a portfolio of future vehicles.
It also aims to enhance vehicle performance by reducing weight, potentially allowing Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) vehicles to achieve what it claims the “lowest” lifecycle carbon footprint of a supercar.
GMG strategy and business director Jean-Phillipe Launberg said: “The potential for this project is exciting to Gordon Murray Automotive as the company constantly strives to utilise the very latest materials, technologies, and processes to produce its driver-focused supercars.
“Alongside Gordon Murray Automotive’s niche supercar application, Project M-LightEn will enable decarbonisation across the wider automotive industry by shortening and de-risking the path to market for innovative new materials and processes.”
The consortium is targeting a one-third reduction in vehicle lifecycle CO2 emissions. To accomplish this, AI will be utilised to fine-tune designs, and new materials and manufacturing processes will be developed.
Constellium and Brunel are set to provide ultra-high-strength extrusions made from 80% recycled UK consumer scrap aluminium, while Carbon ThreeSixty will focus on producing lightweight carbon fibre composite components with near-zero waste.
The initial phase of the project is already underway, focusing on new materials and joining techniques.
The consortium expects M-LightEn developments to be commercially available for low-volume production by late 2027, with broader applications in the mainstream automotive industry to follow.
Brunel University of London metallurgy professor Geoff Scamans said: “This project represents an excellent opportunity to exploit the high-strength extrusion aluminium alloy technology developed in the EPSRC strain-enhanced precipitation in aluminium (STEP Al) programme, funded as an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership between Constellium and Brunel.