There was a palpable buzz around the Cenex LCV (Low Carbon Vehicle) event at UTAC Millbrook last week, as the Ariel Motor Company and Cosworth-developed HIPERCAR made its debut.
In a packed exhibition hall, featuring businesses like Williams Advanced Engineering, Toyota, McLaren Applied and Lotus, the Ariel car was a standout attraction. The ‘baby Batmobile’, as it was described by Sunday Times Driving, is a beauty – and we had a front row seat to the reveal on the Advance Propulsion Centre’s (APC) stand as we joined our clients Cosworth.
The unveiling of the HIPERCAR marks an important step for the automotive industry. Proving that a usable high-performance electric track car is feasible thanks to state-of-the-art technology leading to a lightweight vehicle with a battery range of 150 miles. This can be extended by means of Delta Cosworth’s novel Catalytic Generator (Cat Gen) which can be fitted as an option. There was a particular amount of attention cast on Cosworth’s Cat Gen as part of the ‘Batmobile’ design owes itself to the brightly labelled exhaust which reads ‘DANGER TURBINE EXIT’ in red text. The exhaust is further accentuated with a stabilising fin sprouting out of the top of it which contains the central red brake light.
Developing high-performance technology has been Cosworth’s forte for the past six decades. As the world shifts its focus towards sustainable propulsion solutions and zero carbon emissions, Cosworth has recognised the need to focus its efforts on developing solutions that will assist the transition from fossil fuels to clean sources of energy.
As part of this shift, Cosworth has been accelerating its technology evolution by working on APC programmes such as Ariel’s HIPERCAR. Resulting in new products such as its Cylindrical Scalable Modules (CSM) which enables the use of a wide range of battery cells in two different size formats, its patented battery cooling system, and the Cat Gen range extender.
This year’s LCV event showcased a lot of new offerings from new cell chemistry to further development of hydrogen technology displayed in multiple vehicles from cars to HGVs. Toyota’s Mirai and an Electra converted IVECO were among some of the H2 standouts. Well-known industry professionals from engineers to CEOs were in attendance to exhibit their own innovations as well as to scope out any new trends that could potentially increase momentum to a net-zero future.
At SQN, we support a number of engineering and automotive clients using know-how from our in-house experts. Working with innovative brands enables us to get a deeper understanding of what’s to come for the automotive market, allowing us to tailor campaigns, content and messaging that is relevant to events and industry trends.
We have had the privilege of working with Cosworth for 12 years and always relish the opportunities that the brand gives us to showcase its journey from a motorsport powerhouse to an industry-leading technology company. Cosworth provides the very best propulsion solutions for multiple sectors, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds as it looks toward clean fuel propulsion.
