T.27 electric car crash test success
19 January 2011
- Gordon Murray car passes crash tests
- On track for four-star Euro NCAP rating
- Down to strong occupant cell
The Gordon Murray Design T.27 electric city car is on track for a four-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.
The T.27 recently underwent the mandatory 35mph EEC crash test at industry research centre MIRA and suffered no cabin intrusion. The EEC test is a crucial step in getting a car into production.
Now Murray expects it to achieve four stars in tougher Euro NCAP crash tests. The top five-star rating requires a car to have stability control and curtain airbags, which the T.27 doesn’t.
Murray said: ‘We’d done 160 software simulations during its development, and this matched the predictions.’
The T.27 has the same crumple zones and structure as traditional small cars, but it is significantly smaller than any other vehicle on sale – even a Smart is 19.5cm longer and 45.2cm wider.
Murray says the car’ crash test success is down to a strong occupant cell. The chassis of the car is a composite monocoque bonded to a tubular frame.
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