Gordon Murray plans platform for small cars and delivery vans

The Gordon Murray Group has announced plans to develop its own electric car platform for small cars and delivery vans. This is part of a £ 300 million investment plan over the next five years.

With an equivalent value of around 350 million euros, the investment plan is intended to position the company for the future – and this also includes electric vehicles for urban use. A new global headquarters and technology campus for the Gordon Murray Group is scheduled to open in Windlesham in July this year. The first part is scheduled to open in 2022. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2024.

“The future of the car is becoming increasingly electrified and it is important that we develop the lightest, most efficient and most advanced electric vehicles in the world,” said company founder Gordon Murray. He announced that work on the electric platform was underway and promised that more information would be released soon.

Murray told Autocar magazine that the Gordon Murray Design Division is developing a “highly flexible skateboard platform” and will be the first vehicles in the B segment. This will be a small SUV (mainly for private customers) and a compact van for commercial use.

According to Murray, the SUV will be less than four meters long, which would make it comparable to a VW e-Up. However, Murray emphasizes the usefulness of his vehicle, saying it will be “more of a practical small car than a small city car”.

When asked if the technology will be sold to other companies as before, Murray replied, “We do it a little differently. Rather than offering licenses where customers had to pay all upfront costs, we’re going to be moving a little closer to a franchise system where we use part of the £ 300 million we have earmarked for investment to develop a fleet of prototypes, the customers can see and drive before making a commitment. Then of course you can change them in terms of size, style and function. But all iStream benefits remain. “

Another subsidiary, Gordon Murray Electronics, was established for the electrical platform. This is used to develop components and find partners so that electronics, motors, batteries and inverters can become lighter and more compact. “We believe our B-segment design has the potential to reduce current overall weights by about a third,” said Murray.

Details of the planned vehicles are still rudimentary. Murray hasn’t released any details about the planned price of the electric car yet. The small car segment is particularly price-sensitive, especially for commercial use. The question will be whether a particularly advanced and lightweight electric car can be offered at attractive prices.

Gordon Murray is a South African engineer best known for his work in Formula One. There he built, among other things, the Brabham BT46B (nickname “Hoover”), with which Niki Lauda won a race. Later his cars also won the world championship. After moving to McLaren, he also developed the McLaren F1 street sports car. Murray stayed with McLaren until 2055 and then went into business for himself with Gordon Murray Design.

Despite the trend towards electromobility, the company continues to focus on fossil fuels: From 2022, the Gordon Murray T.50 is to be built in small series, a super sports car with a V12 naturally aspirated engine limited to 100 units. The net price is 2.6 million euros. As Murray Autocar said, a second V12 sports car will follow – with a “very loud” hybrid.

including reporting by Sebastian Schaal

Source: Info by email, autocar.co.uk