UK car firm debuts light-weight plug-in hybrid

UK-based green car startup Axon Automotive yesterday unveiled a new plug-in hybrid featuring a lightweight carbon fibre chassis that the company said would deliver fuel efficiency of over 100mpg.

The Northamptonshire-based firm, which is part funded by the UK Technology Strategy Board and has developed its technology in partnership with Open University and Cranfield University, said the new hatchback would go into production at small factories in the UK and mainland Europe, with the first cars delivered to customers from 2011.

The company did not disclose pricing for the two-seater car, but stated on its web site that it would be available at an "affordable price".

The car appears to use standard plug-in hybrid technology, which allows the vehicle to travel short distances using just battery power before switching to use a petrol or bioethanol powered engine.

However, Axon's managing director, Dr Steve Cousins, told BusinessGreen.com that the car would also provide a showcase for the company's ultra-lightweight carbon fibre technology.

"By designing lighter cars and giving them good aerodynamics you not only reduce emissions but get significant improvements in fuel efficiency," he said, adding that the carbon fibre technology would give the company a differentiator over the raft of new plug-in hybrids that are expected to be launched over the next few years.

He added that the company's calculations had shown that even when using electricity provided by the grid the cars carbon emissions stand at just 50g/km, half the level needed for free annual road tax in the UK.

Many of the world's largest car firms are currently racing to launch the first mass-market plug-in hybrid. Toyota, for example, plans to launch a plug-in version of the Prius while GM is lining up its Chevy Volt. Competing with these industry giants are a host of specialist plug-in hybrid startups such as US-based Fisker Automotive and Chinese firm BYD Auto. A flurry of new vehicle launches are now expected between 2010 and 2012 as each attempts to bring their plug-in hybrid models to market.

Cousins said that the company was on track to launch a number of additional prototypes next year and begin selling a small number of cars in 2011 before moving into production in 2012. He said the company would manufacture cars for the UK market at its headquarters in Wellingborough, but was also looking for partners to manufacture the vehicle in Europe.