Industrialisation plan & prototype build for a breakthrough, lightweight , low carbon urban vehicle concept

Ford and Gordon Murray Design are building a prototype for a lightweight, low-carbon city car that costs far less to produce than current electric vehicles. The core problem is that making small, affordable electric cars is prohibitively expensive. The heavy batteries required push up costs, and the manufacturing processes for lightweight structures are too costly for mass-market vehicles. This project tackles that bottleneck head-on by exploring new platform designs and investment-reduction strategies specifically for small urban vehicles. If successful, this two-year UK-based collaboration could fundamentally change how small cars are built. A cheaper, lighter platform would mean lower purchase prices for drivers and less energy consumed per mile—cutting carbon emissions from city transport without requiring a premium price tag. The manufacturing innovations could also ripple through the supply chain, making lightweight structures viable for other industries that depend on affordable, low-carbon production. This is applied industrial research with a clear commercial goal: deliver a prototype and an industrialisation plan that proves lightweight, low-carbon urban vehicles can be built at scale and at a price ordinary buyers can afford.