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

The corporate founders Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, defined their distinctive market proposition and we extracted a number of key phrases that might outline their model.  Drive needed to create a design language that might embody all of their aspirations, for a totally new British sports activities automotive model.  The E10 can be a mid-engined, carbon fibre tubbed automotive priced at lower than £25,000.

A challenges throughout the preliminary design course of was attaining the fragile steadiness between a pleasant, approachable look becoming the model values, with an exciting, light-weight observe day automotive.  With  affordability in thoughts, Drive needed 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 only 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 staff 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 automotive’s design was measured by the 40 deposits taken from clients earlier than that they had 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 part delicate to the truth that the automotive’s look couldn’t alter considerably, however taking the chance to tune the automotive’s character and steadiness.

This part concerned working with suppliers on feasibility while making certain manufacturing prices have been stored on the right track protecting to the marketing strategy and finances.  The key of the E10’s affordability relative to its efficiency, is off-the-shelf Ford parts engine, gearbox, and brakes.  The modern composite tub constituted of recycled carbon fibre that provides 70 per cent of the lightness and stiffness of pure carbon-fibre for a tenth of the fee.

The inside’s design, constructed across the supreme driving positon, the standard of the panels and match needed to exceed what can be anticipated on the automobiles 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 fruits of a dream.For Drive Design, it offers a cell showcase for its design methods for startup corporations 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 automotive that appears implausible, 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 automotive firm like Zenos.  We assist them take their thought by means of to manufacturing while understanding their enterprise wants.