The T25 will focus on a whole-cycle energy savings, being designed from the ground up to require fewer parts, less assembly time, fewer emissions and pollutants in the build process.
Targeted to weigh 400kg (880lb) less than a standard small car, which would likely put it in the 800-1,000kg (1,760-2,200lb) range or less, the new T25 is very lightweight, but not unsafely or impracticably so, as have been many of the carbon fiber-based design concepts of late.
Its compact size will allow two of the cars to travel side-by-side in a single lane and three of them can easily fit into a standard parking spot. Despite its diminutive size, Murray insists the car will have at least a four star Euro NCAP rating. It will also have best in class CO2 emissions.
Furthering its ease of distribution, the T25 will be engineered to be flat-pack capable, meaning the cars could be shipped en masse at a fraction of their finished size and assembled in-place, reducing the amount of transport emissions per car.
Once complete, the T25's lightweight and small size will minimize fuel usage and traffic and parking congestion. CO2 emissions are expected to be half the current average in the UK, and pricing for the car will be at or below the bottom end of the market, likely placing it between £7,000 ($13,900) and £10,000 ($19,850).
The car is now at the halfway point in its 24-month prototyping program, meaning the car will see the light of day in about a year. The prototypes developed by the program will be used to further the mass-production process. A full range of vehicles, in many body styles, are likely to evolve from the T25, as the layout of the chassis will lend itself to easy adaptation, according to Murray.
Europe, the UK and Japan are the intended primary markets for the base model T25. It will be ideal as a second or third vehicle for small trips, a primary vehicle for inner-city dwellers and as a first vehicle for younger buyers, according to the company. That means a version for the U.S. will likely be several years out at best, once the shift toward acceptance of truly small cars is a bit further along. It is unlikely the T25 would be suitable for the amount of highway and high-speed use it would be pressed to perform in most suburban-oriented U.S. cities.
Reader Comments
Thu Jul 3 2008 3:42 PM
Chris says
that thing will certainly be the best handling eco car ever. that much weight off? gordon murray? nice.
Fri Jul 4 2008 4:43 AM
BAUMM III says
OK; Gordon Murray keep going on his T25 city car, and will see prototype in a year, but i see see any "details on new T25 city car" here
:-(
Fri Jul 4 2008 8:55 AM
raptor says
Ok 4 star NCAP and stuff... I'm sure it's safe if you hit a bycicle, but how about crazy taxi driver in his 1500kg car? If he hits you sideways with 30 km/h, I'd say you're cold.
Fri Jul 4 2008 8:56 AM
raptor says
That said, I belive my life is worth more that 3 liters od petrol saved every 100 kilometers.
Fri Jul 4 2008 9:02 AM
Dann says
well said Raptor...the people who are in X5's, Range Rovers and Cayennes because they want their babys and children are not going to downsize to a car that could be bench pressed by Britains strongest man for the same reason they've bought the big cars in the first place - safety
having said that I wonder how this will do on the 'first car' scene with parents buying cheap economical new cars for their teenagers
Fri Jul 4 2008 10:43 AM
bambam says
the advantage of those SUV will drop if the government have their way of bumper standards.
Not too mention city traffic standards or the C charge in London or even weight or mass standards. In a way I would like to see in real life, theres gotta be something new that interest me.
Fri Jul 4 2008 6:40 PM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says
Forget crash safety how about the fact that his last effort has caught fire and had bits fall off it at speed. Frankly I'd rather go instantly via an impact by Range Rover rather than slow roasted. Then again I'll continue to do what I do now and thats buy the bigger vehicle as they will always be the safer choice!!!!
Sat Jul 5 2008 7:17 AM
HECTOR says
Personally and as a matter of principle, I'm against anything environmentally sound these days. You know, as a reaction against the lying cretins trying to shove global warming down my throat. My motto is: *if it's green... you can shove it*.
Thu Jul 17 2008 3:17 AM
trashcan says
please get on with it so we can try it out
Tue Aug 26 2008 8:26 PM
Brian Paul Wiegand says
It's one thing to design a limited production super car, or some exotic toy, that only sold about 50 units; it's quite another thing to design a vehicle that has to be produced at the rate of 50 every half hour just to break even. The news is flush with stories about independent designers, inventers, and tinkerers coming up with designs to save the world, only to be revealed in time as having been designs intended to serve as ploys for attracting unwary investors.
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