Niche Vehicle Network

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Zero Emissions for Low Volume (ZELV)

ARIEL ELECTRIC LTD

Replacing a production car with a zero emission equivalent is extremely difficult but, for a large manufacturer, can be achieved within a conventional vehicle body and package. For niche manufacturers, whose products are usually extremely lightweight, of unconventional design, tightly packaged around an ICE drivetrain and offering high performance at a competitive price point the move to zero emissions will represent a fundamental rethink of their vehicles. In their transition to zero emissions it is vital that the core values of the niche sector are not lost. This Feasibility Study will establish the route necessary towards achieving this goal.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

VO VOXI Solar Taxi : Range Extension For Production

VO VEHICLES LTD

VO VOXI Solar Taxi is a lightweight EAPC city solar powered taxi for 2 people and cargo with removable mains chargeable battery needing no new charge-point road infrastructure.

VO VOXI embodies the best attributes of car and cycle travel. Legally permitted to use cycle lanes, VO VOXI travels at a capped speed of 15.5mph, effectively faster than a car’s average 11.3mph through cities.

VO VOXI's zero-emission, ultra lightweight design enables solar power to be reliable and sufficiently powerful for city travel. This project will develop the solar-roof for production which extends range on average 1/3 from 100 to 150 miles.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Coated Cell Battery Design

ROCKFORT ENGINEERING LIMITED

Rockfort Engineering Limited have some novel ideas with regards to cylindrical cell battery pack manufacture which will improve the safety and thermal management while at the same time reducing parts count, complexity and manufacturing effort. The result will be a pack which is lighter, safer and lower cost bringing inherent improvements in the power and energy densities which can be achieved without compromising safety or reliability.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Hy-cap Hydrogen fuel cell supercapacitor drivetrain

ICONIC VEHICLES LTD

Hy-Cap is a feasibility study for the operation and performance of a lightweight, low voltage supercapacitor charged from a hydrogen fuel cell and providing zero emissions power to a low cost synchronous motor drivetrain.

Supercapacitor and motor contain very small amounts of rare earth metals and majority of fuel cell materials are fully recoverable at end of service life.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Digital Composite

RASEI LTD

The objective of this study is to explore the deployment for graphene enhanced resin systems distributed within a carbon composite. This creates a conductivity platform which can be deployed in an automotive application without compromising the signal strength, the mechanical properties of the composite and without deploying additional cabling within said structure producing a light weight multi-functional structural product.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Dynamic Electric Vehicle Powertrain

COLLINS LIMITED

Electric vehicle batteries have a number of drawbacks: high battery weight reducing range, high battery voltages introduce safety risks, and powertrains not optimised for a wide power band. Collins Limited has developed a dynamic, or ‘smart’, battery concept to mitigate against these deficiencies.

Battery packs are manufactured in well-established ways, but which bound a vehicle’s performance capability and range. The dynamic battery concept removes this restriction, creating opportunities to improve these weaknesses whilst adding performance.

In particular, this concept can reduce battery mass by up to 50%, almost completely eradicate electrical safety issues and improve performance across the speed range.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Clipper Cab Range Extension

ENGINES FOR GOOD LTD.

Range extension is critical to accelerate the adoption of electric taxis by drivers and fleet operators. The study will assess the viability of increasing the battery capacity of the existing Clipper Cab electric taxi to achieve circa 300 mile range, including optimal BMS functionality, thermal management, battery box designs and chassis modifications. Other changes that impact range and efficiencies include rapid charging system improvements, aerodynamics, light-weighting, solar-wrap, insulation, vehicle control parameters and driver behaviour. A full option appraisal will be carried out to assess feasibility, and a plan built to test on a small fleet of 100% electric London Taxis.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

GraphEVe

WESTFIELD SPORTS CARS LIMITED

In combatting Electric Vehicle (EV) range anxiety and weight challenges, Westfield is collaborating with the National Graphene Institute (NGI) to develop a bespoke graphene-enhanced battery and supercapacitor package that meets Westfield vehicles specific needs -enabling 15-20% increased vehicle range.

In leveraging the advantages of graphene-enhanced battery technology, lighter, more durable, and better-suited batteries with high-capacity energy storage are produced. Further, using graphene-enhanced supercapacitors results in rapid charging and discharging, yielding substantial benefits in EV applications such as increased recapture during regenerative braking.

The GraphEVe project will demonstrate an automotive specification battery panel (TRL5) -evidencing advantage to state-of-the-art.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Subthree

UP DESIGN LTD

SubThree is a three wheeled, narrow body, tilting, fully enclosed, 2+1 seater that can filter through dense traffic in any weather in a safe manner. All its benefits compared to micro cars stem from tandem seating configuration. The concept has been awarded by International Design Awards in Los Angeles as well as London International Creative Competition. The grant will enable creation of the first preliminary feasibility, engineering, and marketing study to validate the efficiency as well as market potential of SubThree's narrow body design combined with 2+1 seats which make SubThree a very attractive alternative to micro cars.

Feasibility Study: Range Extension & Improved Efficiency / 2021

Carbon Fibre Structure For Electric Wells Vertige

HALL ENGINEERING AND DESIGN LIMITED

The Wells Vertige is a brand new niche vehicle engineered and built by Hall Engineering And Design Ltd for Wells Motor Cars Ltd. This project looks at how a BEV version could retain the core product's light weight and simplicity. A carbon fibre structure is proposed to replace the steel structure, to offset the extra mass of the batteries. An off-the-shelf integrated electric power unit will be selected and packaged along with standard battery modules that will be arranged to a suitable pack. The project will prove the feasibility of creating a beautiful, lightweight, efficient and sustainable electric sports car.