Professor Gordon Murray's T.25 city car was designed to be compact, as well as cheap to produce, purchase and run. Now, it has been revealed that the T.25 will undergo a "ground-up, total re-think." Project M will see a new small and efficient concept car developed in partnership with Shell.
Initiated by Shell, Project M seeks to develop an ultra-compact car for use in cities that is highly efficient, but that still makes use of an internal combustion engine. Shell says the project aims to address the challenges of living in increasingly congested cities and minimizing the amount of energy we use.
Despite there being alternatives to cars powered by fossil fuels, such as electric vehicles, Shell says a demand for cars with internal combustion engines will remain for some time to come. As such, the oil giant says it is important to continue finding out how we can make them work more efficiently, while emitting less CO2.
In addition to improving the workings of the engine, Shell has mooted a number of other ways to reduce CO2 output. These include making non-powertrain vehicle efficiency improvements, minimizing the weight of a vehicle, and using improved fuels and lubricants.
Amongst the features that Shell says may be included in the design is the honeycomb monocoque-type body used by Murray in his Formula One cars. This is said ensure a lightweight but strong structure. The engine will be designed to be as efficient as possible and, likewise, the lubricants and fuels used will be considered for efficiency.
The car eventually produced as a result of Project M is not intended for production, but instead is intended to inspire thinking about mobility and energy use. It is expected to be unveiled in November.
The video below is an interview with Gordon Murray discussing Project M.
Source: Shell
