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

The corporate founders Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, defined their distinctive market proposition and we extracted just a few 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.

A challenges through the preliminary design course of was reaching the fragile stability between a pleasant, approachable look becoming the model values, with an exhilarating, light-weight observe day automobile.  With  affordability in thoughts, Drive wished to spotlight the innovation of the carbon composite materials and mirror 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 only clam mouldings used on competitor merchandise.   Drive’s designers, working intently with engineers and composite producers Vibrant Lite Constructions,  developed the ultimate break down of elements and assemblies.

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

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 strain to ship on their promise to have the manufacturing mannequin prepared for January 2015.  Drive and Zenos launched right into a speedy manufacturing improvement section 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 section concerned working with suppliers on feasibility while making certain manufacturing prices have been stored heading in the right direction protecting to the marketing strategy and finances.  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 comprised of recycled carbon fibre that provides 70 per cent of the lightness and stiffness of pure carbon-fibre for a tenth of the price.

The inside’s design, constructed across the ideally suited driving positon, the standard of the panels and match needed to exceed what can be anticipated on the vehicles value level.  This strategy 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 end result of a dream.For Drive Design, it supplies a cellular showcase for its design methods for startup firms looking for the type of collaborative, ground-up design strategy that solely Drive can ship.

“Drive utterly believed in and understood our imaginative and prescient proper from the start. They dedicated themselves in each respect to growing the design of the E10, and helped us ship a automobile that appears improbable, nice dealing with and nicely engineered” Ansar Ali. The Zenos E10 challenge is the essence of what we do at Drive.  We perceive designing for a startup automobile firm like Zenos.  We assist them take their thought via to manufacturing while understanding their enterprise wants.