Drive have 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 end result of an intense design and growth interval. Drive and Zenos labored hand-in-hand to put down the inspiration for a “light-weight, inexpensive, 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 couple 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 kind of buyer wants – the way in which they interrogated, challenged and interpreted them have been in alignment with how we noticed it.” Ansar Ali
A challenges through the preliminary design course of was attaining the fragile steadiness between a pleasant, approachable look becoming the model values, with an exhilarating, light-weight monitor day automobile. With affordability in thoughts, Drive wished to focus on 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 one clam mouldings used on competitor merchandise. Drive’s designers, working carefully with engineers and composite producers Vibrant Lite Buildings, developed the ultimate break down of elements and assemblies.
The shut relationship between Drive and Zenos, and the openness of the administration crew have been key to make sure that the design and enterprise wants aligned at each stage of he venture.
“For us Zenos was a particularly thrilling venture; 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 clients 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 fast manufacturing growth 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 steadiness.
This section concerned working with suppliers on feasibility while guaranteeing manufacturing prices have been stored on course protecting to the marketing strategy and price range. The key of the E10’s affordability relative to its efficiency, is off-the-shelf Ford elements engine, gearbox, and brakes. The modern composite tub produced from 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 splendid driving positon, the standard of the panels and match needed to exceed what can be anticipated on the automobiles value 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 end result of a dream.For Drive Design, it gives a cellular showcase for its design methods for startup corporations trying to find the form of collaborative, ground-up design method 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 incredible, nice dealing with and nicely engineered” Ansar Ali.The Zenos E10 venture is the essence of what we do at Drive. We work with purchasers, like startup Zenos, and assist them take their thought via to manufacturing while understanding the enterprise wants.
