Hydrogen-powered Morgan unveiled at Sexy Green Car Show, Eden
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.
© Motopia™ 2008