The project seeks to develop a stronger yet significantly lighter monocoque architecture, with a goal of reducing carbon intensity by 50 per cent over the next three years.
Project M-LightEn (Monocoque architecture – Lightweight and Low Energy) is supported by Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), with contributions from partners Carbon ThreeSixty, Constellium, and Brunel University of London. The collaboration is expected to generate up to 160 new jobs across GMG and its partners.
As the lead entity, Gordon Murray Group will focus on researching, designing, building, and validating digital and physical prototypes. These prototypes will incorporate new materials and advanced manufacturing processes, laying the groundwork for future industrialisation. The project aligns with GMG’s broader objective of achieving significant performance improvements through weight reduction, particularly for its Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) vehicles, which could achieve the lowest lifecycle carbon footprint of any supercar.
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A major component of the initiative involves reducing vehicle lifecycle CO2 by at least a third and AI-driven generative design will be used to optimise designs.
GMG’s Strategy and Business Director, Jean-Phillipe Launberg, said: “We want to continue to evolve how we make cars, and the methodologies we have available to achieve that goal.”
Constellium and Brunel University of London will contribute high-strength aluminium extrusions made from 80 per cent recycled UK consumer scrap.
“We have an intent on leveraging and co-developing some materials with partners where we can use post-consumer scrap aluminium and…make it even better and stronger than virgin aluminium,” said Launberg, adding that this high-performance aluminium would be capable of approaching steel-like strength.
Carbon ThreeSixty’s will manufacture lightweight carbon fibre composite components with near-zero waste. Their tailored-fibre-placement production process will ensure material is used only where necessary, minimising excess.
“Reducing the amount of carbon fibre that you use by just putting it only where you need it…as well as minimising the amount of waste when making composite panels, that's another big enabler,” said Launberg.
The project will also explore novel thermomechanical processing techniques for recycling end-of-life aluminium into high-performance alloys. The first phase is already in progress, focusing on materials research and new joining techniques. By late 2027, Project M-LightEn aims to make its advancements commercially viable for low-volume vehicle production, with the potential for broader industry adoption thereafter.
“This is one effort to find a solution to make hypercars relevant and sustainable for the longer term,” said Launberg. “We are in a unique position to bring new technologies into the wider industry, starting from the top, where we are a bit less sensitive on some of the constraints for global OEMs.”
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