Collaborative R&D Competitions
Gordon Murray Group: Project M-LightEn, Monocoque Architecture – Lightweight and low embedded energy
Developing a production-ready, ultra-lightweight, low CO2, monocoque architecture for a portfolio of class-leading future vehicles
M-LightEn will develop and ‘productionise’ sustainable vehicle structures based on novel recycled extrusions, low-waste composites, and digitalised design and manufacturing processes. These will form the basis for a new generation of vehicles that avoid thousands of kilotonnes of CO2, increase UK economic activity, and create dozens of skilled local jobs.
M-LightEn will develop and ‘productionise’ an ultra-lightweight, low-embedded-energy monocoque architecture for future vehicles, starting with sportscars with world-leading carbon footprint.
Key highlights
- Develops high-strength, recycled aluminum for lightweight, low-CO2 components and nearly zero-waste CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) manufacturing to cut/reduce embedded CO2 and weight.
- Introduces digital tools for optimising structural components to reduce embedded carbon and total vehicle mass per performance requirement.
- Launching a new generation of iStream Ultralight monocoques – based on these new materials and ‘joint’ designs – capable of meeting the most extreme dynamic and worldwide safety load cases.
- Total project value £11.4 million, £5.4 million funded by the Department for Business and Trade through the APC.
Project consortium