Designing for a startup automobile firm

Drive had been approached by Zenos Automobiles due to their expertise of designing for a startup automobile firm.   Zenos Automobiles’ marketing strategy concerned the design and construct of a spread of automobiles.  The E10 idea marked the fruits of an intense design and improvement interval.  Drive and Zenos labored hand-in-hand to put down the inspiration for a “light-weight, reasonably priced, enjoyable to drive” automobile, that fitted a brand new vary of thrilling and accessible sports activities automobiles.

The brand new startup firm founders Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, defined their distinctive market proposition with a number of key phrases that will outline their model.  Drive needed to create a design language that will embody all of their aspirations, for a very new British sports activities automobile model.  The E10 can be a mid-engined, carbon fibre tubbed automobile priced at lower than £25,000.

“Drive’s energy was their listening, understanding and articulating the market and our sort of buyer wants – the way in which they interrogated, challenged and interpreted them had been in alignment with how we noticed it.” Ansar Ali

A challenges throughout the preliminary design course of was attaining the fragile stability between a pleasant, approachable look becoming the model values, with an exciting, light-weight monitor day automobile.  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 Vivid Lite Constructions,  developed the ultimate break down of elements and assemblies.

The shut relationship between Drive and Zenos, and the openness of the administration staff had been key to make sure that the design and enterprise wants aligned at each stage of he challenge.

“For us Zenos was a particularly thrilling challenge; it’s not fairly often that you just get the chance to construct one thing from scratch, to assist launch a brand new model and begin up firm and have a lot affect on it,” Chris Longmore.

The general public’s response to the automobile’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 improvement part delicate to the truth that the automobile’s look couldn’t alter considerably, however taking the chance to tune the automobile’s character and stability.

This part concerned working with suppliers on feasibility while guaranteeing manufacturing prices had been saved on course holding to the marketing strategy and funds.  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 constructed from recycled carbon fibre that gives 70 per cent of the lightness and stiffness of pure carbon-fibre for a tenth of the associated fee.

The inside’s design, constructed across the very best driving positon, the standard of the panels and match needed to exceed what can be anticipated on the automobiles worth level.  This method noticed Zenos Automobiles has take greater than 110 deposits and a primary 12 months 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 gives a cellular showcase for its design methods for startup firms looking for the sort of collaborative, ground-up design method that solely Drive can ship.

“Drive fully 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 automobile 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 work with purchasers, like startup Zenos, and assist them take their concept by to manufacturing while understanding the enterprise wants.

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