Toray has teamed up with Gordon Murray Design (creator of the T.27 city EV, to create the T-Wave AR1, a concept EV two-seater to demonstrate the extreme weight savings possible with Toray’s carbon fiber composites.
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| T-Wave AR1. Click to enlarge. |
The T-Wave AR1 has a range of 185 km (115 miles) and a top speed of 147 km/h (91 mph). Although it is a concept car, the existing design could be homologated for road use.
The use of carbon fiber for the frame as well as more typical parts, such as exterior body panels and seats, keeps the weight down to 846 kg (1,865 lbs). A four-seat implementation of the design would add 129 kg (284 lbs). For comparison, the curb weight of the Tesla Roadster is 1,235 kg (2,723 lbs)—46% more than the T-Wave AR1.
The use of carbon fiber in the frame makes it 10 times stronger than the steel equivalent; it will also absorb 2.5x more energy in a collision.
Despite the challenge of cost, Toray Vice-President Chiaki Tanaka was upbeat about expanding the use of carbon fiber in automotive applications: “We want to see supply [of carbon fiber advanced materials] not just to high-end luxury cars, but to everyday vehicles as well.” Toray’s aim is to see this happening in earnest from around 2015.
The T-Wave will be featured at the Toray Advanced Materials Symposium at the Tokyo International Forum from 14 to 15 September, 2011.
Source: Green Car Congress
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