Carbon Aluminium Automotive Hybrid Structures (CAAHS)

Gordon Murray Design's innovative and ground breaking iStream automotive manufacturing technology allows significant reductions in setup, production costs, vehicle mass, and lifecycle CO2 emissions, whilst offering cost effective design flexibility that exceeds current Euro NCAP occupant and pedestrian impact regulations. The project consortium of Gordon Murray Design, Innoval Technology Limited, Constellium and Brunel University (BCAST) aim to develop an iStream monocoque that is 30 - 40% lighter than the incumbent steel/glass fibre composite structure. Using a novel high strength extrusion alloy combined with advanced composite panels based on recycled carbon fibre, the project aims to further reduce CO2 emissions through significant lightweighting, whilst maintaining the high volume, low cost benefits of the original disruptive iStream technology. The project also aims to take another major step, making full use of the iStream process, towards a new generation of lightweight vehicles for the UK market that can have a major impact on the UK government’s carbon reduction targets for the UK vehicle fleet