AIE joins consortium to build low carbon sports car with Niche Vehicle Network grant

One of the major challenges facing the automotive industry is to develop a car that is both fuel efficient and boasts low CO2 emissions. Now, AIE has teamed up with two leading players in the motor industry to build a lightweight sports car using the company’s patented rotary engine technology.

AIE specialise in the design, development and manufacture of efficient and lightweight rotary engines. The Lichfield based company have teamed up with Axon Automotive and Westfield Sports Cars to build a car with an advanced, lightweight carbon fibre structure and an efficient rotary engine using AIE’s patented SPARCS cooling technology. Once built, a professional driver will validate the vehicle on the road as well as put it through its paces around a test track.

Nathan Bailey, Managing Director of AIE, said: “By partnering with Axon and Westfield we want to demonstrate that it is possible to build a sports car that is both lightweight and great to drive. By reducing the overall weight of the Westfield vehicle, this project will prove that a sports car doesn’t need a heavy piston engine in order to deliver exciting performance.

“Our cutting-edge software and design heritage mean we can build compact engines that deliver a high power-to-weight ratio while also being extremely efficient. These engines are perfect for niche vehicles and the Westfield vehicle will show that by reducing the weight of the car we can deliver high performance using less fuel.”

The announcement from AIE comes as the consortium behind the development of the new sports car have been awarded a grant from the Niche Vehicle Network. At a special ceremony at the 2015 Low Carbon Vehicle (LCV) event at Millbrook, AIE and representatives from Axon Automotive and Westfield were presented with the grant designed to help support the development of the new car and engine.

The Niche Vehicle Network awards a range of grants each year designed to invest in R&D projects focused on the niche and specialist vehicle manufacturing sector. The grant funding supports the development and demonstration of innovative niche vehicle technologies and is particularly interested in projects which can improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Mr Bailey from AIE said: “We’re delighted that the Niche Vehicle Network have awarded AIE and our consortium partners this grant to support the development of an efficient, low carbon sports car.

“As part of the project we are developing patented technology designed to improve both the fuel efficiency and the environmental performance of our market-leading engines. This grant will not only help us to develop this market-leading technology but also to support engineering jobs in the Midlands.”

For more information about AIE and their patented engines call (01543) 420700 or visit www.aieuk.com