We have yet another eco contender for what is shaping up to be a cut-throat-competitive 2010 in the car industry. Alongside major offerings from Chevrolet, Toyota and Nissan will come this interesting British model called the Axon Hatchback, that takes a whole new approach to cutting down on fuel use, running costs and CO2 emissions.
The Axon’s body is made entirely from carbon fiber, emulating the shells of Formula 1 cars that enable fantastic speeds. The idea here is to make the car as light as possible to achieve fantastic fuel economy and does quite a decent job, getting you 100mpg.
The engine is a Ptech two-cylinder 500cc block which weighs a tiny 26kg/57lbs but is capable of powering the car to a top speed of 85mph. Very impressive considering you could lift the engine right out of the car using nothing but your own strength. This in itself could be a selling point, making engine repairs or replacement easier. We may even see people buying the Axon Hatchback for the light-weight body and replacing the engine with their own electric motor.
The Axon apparently emits less than half the CO2 emissions of the average car and should cost around £10,500 ($21,000) when it launches in 2010.
Sources:
Axon Automotive and RegisterHardware