Zenos Vehicles engaged Drive to design their first mid-engined, track-focused, road-going efficiency automotive, the E10, due to our expertise designing for a startup automotive firm. Constructed round a monocoque comprised of recycled carbon fibre, the E10 was designed to embody Zenos’s model values of belonging, thrill, and intelligence. Leading to a brand new British sports activities automotive model.
The E10 idea marked the fruits of an intense design and growth interval. Drive and Zenos labored hand-in-hand to put down the inspiration for a “light-weight, reasonably priced, enjoyable to drive” automotive, that fitted a brand new vary of thrilling and accessible sports activities vehicles.
The corporate founders Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, defined their distinctive market proposition and we extracted a number of key phrases that may outline their model. Drive needed to create a design language that may embody all of their aspirations, for a totally new British sports activities automotive model. The E10 could be a mid-engined, carbon fibre tubbed automotive priced at lower than £25,000.
A challenges throughout the preliminary design course of was reaching the fragile stability between a pleasant, approachable look becoming the model values, with an exhilarating, light-weight observe day automotive. With affordability in thoughts, Drive needed to focus on the innovation of the carbon composite materials and replicate the intelligence of the styling. The break up of panels, wings and tub permitting ease of manufacturing and decrease restore prices in comparison with the one clam mouldings used on competitor merchandise. Drive’s designers, working intently with engineers and composite producers Vibrant Lite Buildings, developed the ultimate break down of elements and assemblies.
The shut relationship between Drive and Zenos, and the openness of the administration staff have been key to make sure that the design and enterprise wants aligned at each stage of he challenge.
The general public’s response to the automotive’s design was measured by the 40 deposits taken from prospects earlier than they’d even seen it run. This justification of the product, solely raised the stress to ship on their promise to have the manufacturing mannequin prepared for January 2015. Drive and Zenos launched right into a fast manufacturing growth section delicate to the truth that the automotive’s look couldn’t alter considerably, however taking the chance to tune the automotive’s character and stability.
This section concerned working with suppliers on feasibility while making certain manufacturing prices have been stored heading in the right direction retaining to the marketing strategy and finances. The key of the E10’s affordability relative to its efficiency, is off-the-shelf Ford elements engine, gearbox, and brakes. The progressive composite tub comprised of recycled carbon fibre that provides 70 per cent of the lightness and stiffness of pure carbon-fibre for a tenth of the fee.
The inside’s design, constructed across the ultimate driving positon, the standard of the panels and match needed to exceed what could be anticipated on the vehicles value level. This strategy noticed Zenos Vehicles has take greater than 110 deposits and a primary yr manufacturing run being roughly 70. For Zenos’s founders Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, the E10 represents the fruits of a dream.For Drive Design, it offers a cell showcase for its design methods for startup corporations trying to find the type of collaborative, ground-up design strategy that solely Drive can ship.
“Drive utterly believed in and understood our imaginative and prescient proper from the start. They dedicated themselves in each respect to creating the design of the E10, and helped us ship a automotive that appears implausible, nice dealing with and properly engineered” Ansar Ali. The Zenos E10 challenge is the essence of what we do at Drive. We perceive designing for a startup automotive firm like Zenos. We assist them take their concept by means of to manufacturing while understanding their enterprise wants.
