16 MAY 2008
Classic British manufacturer Morgan’s futuristic LIFECar is to make its UK debut at The Co-operative Insurance Eden Project Sexy Green Car Show, from May 23–31. Based upon the design of the company’s ultra-sleek Aero-8 roadster, the LIFECar combines unique futuristic styling with Morgan’s trademark retro-charm.
The LIFECar concept was the brainchild of Morgan and Hugo Spowers of RiverSimple, a specialist company investigating new ideas in environmentally sound transport. Morgan and Spowers say it has an energy consumption equivalent to 150 miles per gallon on petrol, can reach 0-60 miles per hour in just seven seconds, has a top speed of up to 85 miles per hour and has an average range of 250 miles. Unlike hybrid and bio-fuel cars already on the market, the LIFECar produces zero harmful emissions - the only waste product released from the car is water vapour. The car also employs the latest braking technology which allows it to store the energy used when braking much more efficiently than in normal regenerative braking systems. This energy is stored in a bank of ultra capacitors which can absorb and release energy more efficiently and quickly than batteries. The result is that up to 50 per cent of the energy used to brake can then be re-used to accelerate and the fuel cell can be much lower power without affecting the acceleration. Along with the unique combination of technology, the car is designed to be as minimalist and lightweight as possible to improve fuel efficiency.
Gus Grand, the director of the show, said: "The LIFECar is quite simply one of the sexiest, greenest cars ever and we're absolutely delighted that this quintessentially British design is making its UK debut at Eden."
Spowers said: “This has been a wonderful project to be involved with. The lessons we have learned from developing this car are proving extremely useful to RiverSimple in the development of our next project - an urban car which will revolutionise the efficiency and cleanliness of the way we travel in towns around the world and will take us a major step towards sustainable solutions which suit us - the traveller – and bring benefit to our atmosphere.”
Spowers will be speaking at The Co-operative Insurance Eden Sexy Green Car Show about the future of travel and how alternatives to fossil fuels do not mean the end of our love affair with the car.
Built in Malvern, Worcestershire, the LIFECar has been co-created by a partnership of UK-based companies and universities with funding from the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform.
Spowers co-ordinated the design concept and integration, and the involvement of Morgan, Cranfield University in producing system simulation and powertain control, ‘Linde’ (a specialist company in industrial gases and engineering) for the refuelling system, ‘QinetiQ’ (a defence and security technology company) for the manufacture of the fuel cell system, and the University of Oxford for the electric motors and power electronics.
ENDS
May 16, 2008
Notes to editors:
- Eden Project Limited is owned by the Eden Trust, which is a fully registered UK Charity (No. 1093070).
- Eden is home to the two biggest greenhouses in the world – the Rainforest Biome and Mediterranean Biome.
- Around 1.2 million visitors come to Eden per year and it has generated £800 million for the local economy.
- So far capital funding of £135 million to develop Eden has been raised from a combination of £58 million from the Millennium Commission Lottery Fund, £50 million in regional grants from the South West Regional Development Agency and Objective One European Regional Development Fund, and £27 million in the form of loans, lease finance and Eden's own revenue generation.
- Immediate information may be obtained from our website: www.edenproject.com.
- The main operating subsidiary of Group Lotus plc is Lotus Cars Ltd, which has two operating divisions - Lotus Engineering and Lotus Cars. Lotus Engineering is an internationally recognised automotive engineering consultancy based in Norfolk, UK. Global facilities include those in Michigan (USA), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), China and offices in Germany and Japan, with rapid expansion in new territories such as South East Asia and the Gulf States.
- Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world's OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, offering a full engineering service from initial concept and project design through development and integration of the complete vehicle to meet all worldwide markets and customers to full production. This includes third party 'niche vehicle' engineering and manufacture worldwide.
- Lotus Cars builds world class, prestige, high performance sports cars for sale in 37 countries. These include the iconic Lotus Elise, and the Exige and Europa. Lotus is a global high-tech company, expanding rapidly and committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels.
For more information, please contact:
David Rowe
Head of Media Relations
The Eden Project
01726 811901
mobile: 0781 304 1923
email: drowe@edenproject.com
Duncan Bowker
Public Relations Manager
The Co-operative Financial Services
0161 827 5617
mobile: 07810 756 137
e-mail: duncan.bowker@co-operative.co.uk
