Axon announces affordable, 100mpg, carbon-composite passenger car
July 17th, 2008
There’s plenty of different things you can look at if you’re trying to make a 100mpg, super-low-emissions passenger car - from alternative fuels like diesel, to hybrids, advanced engine technologies and even the replacement of the combustion engine altogether with battery-electrics. But Britain’s Axon Automotive has taken another direction altogether, and is achieving some pretty amazing results.
Axon has gone simply for an uncomplicated 500cc engine in a low-weight body, which replaces the traditional heavy steel or aluminium frame with recycled carbon fibre composites - as strong as steel but only around 40% as heavy. Extensive use of carbon materials through Axon’s cars makes a massive impact on the power-to-weight ratio, meaning they can get acceptable overall performance using a much smaller, lighter and more frugal engine. (more…)
