Why Gordon Murray Design’s iStream technology is perfect for future electric vehicles

Gordon Murray Design (GMD), the company founded by the legendary designer of the McLaren F1 and many other street and racing cars, has revealed more details about its iStream design and manufacturing process.

The weight-saving iStream technology is described as “perfect for future electric vehicles” and can be applied to a wider range of vehicles, reducing the overall weight of a typical family car by over 20%. It can also be applied to other forms of mobility, including some segments of electrified aviation.

The first application of iStream technology is the all-electric Quadricycle motif (see gallery below), which was introduced by Gordon Murray Design last year. The autonomous vehicle can be seen this week at the LCV Cenex Show in Milbrook, UK.

6th photos

In addition to the weight savings, the iStream vehicle design and manufacturing process is said to have “great benefits for the performance, costs and efficiency of future electrified vehicles”.

According to GMD, iStream can be applied to a variety of vehicles with any type of powertrain, from an electric four-wheeler to a mid-engine sports car, to a gasoline-powered large luxury SUV or a light commercial vehicle.

However, this is especially true for electric vehicles, which, due to their powerful batteries, usually have difficulty reducing the overall weight of the vehicle to a minimum. GMD says iStream is a cost-effective way to develop lightweight vehicles because the manufacturing processes reduce the number of components required for the body panels by 50% while providing more rigidity.

The latter has advantages for safety, smoothness and chassis dynamics as well as excellent durability. In addition, the weight can be further reduced by using recycled fiber composite panels. The iStream approach enables both energy-saving manufacturing and driving requirements and offers “a significant reduction in the carbon footprint from cradle to grave”.

“IStream’s expanded portfolio means that it is the answer to many questions for many mobility companies. Last but not least, how do you keep the weight of an electric vehicle as low as possible? Our innovative manufacturing processes offer many advantages for automobile manufacturers who manufacture, develop and manufacture small to medium-sized quantities of passenger cars and commercial vehicles that cannot be manufactured profitably with their existing methods and their footprint. It is a unique and cost-effective way for global manufacturers to sustainably improve performance and efficiency. “

Jean-Philippe Launberg, Strategy and Business Director, Gordon Murray Design

In addition to the Quadricycle motif, the GMD stand at the LCV Cenex also offers a bonded metal composite platform for a similar vehicle. The iStream eQuadricycle rolling platform is only 2.5 meters (98.4 inches) long, weighs less than 400 kg (882 lbs) and has a range of 140 miles (225 km), making it ideal for running errands and driving. It only takes 40 minutes to charge the battery from 10% to 80%.

GMD claims that a production car based on this platform would require far less investment and have a lower environmental impact than a comparable car developed and manufactured using conventional methods.