05 Feb 09 15:20
Axon Automotive
Axon Automotive has received funding to help bring its 100mpg lightweight city car to production by 2011.
It has received over £2million from the government's Technology Strategy Board, plus investment from Cambridgeshire technology development firm TTP and a further international investor.
The Axon car is a small hatchback, using existing engine technology - a conventional 500cc unit - but built around a lightweight carbon fibre chassis and featuring an advanced transmission system.
Axon has patented a mass-production technique to make structural carbon fibre space-frames, panels and sheets, using recycled carbon fibre for some components in a kind of 'braid' of fibres around a foam core. This is claimed to be as strong as steel yet 60% lighter, as well as quick to make and easy to shape and adapt for different types of vehicle.
Axon Automotive's MD Dr Steven Cousins said today: 'Right now I take this [receiving the funding] as a terrific vote of confidence in the British automotive industry, given the difficulties worldwide. Axon has a 2011 target for production vehicles and we're really looking forward to getting on with the job - getting the next generation of automotive technologies ready for the upturn.'
Further down the line, Axon is working on a plug-in hybrid version of the city car, set to emit less than 60g/km of carbon dioxide. It now plans to raise a further £5 milion for this project.
