Shell to design and build its own city car concept

Oil company works with legendary F1 designer and engine specialist to demonstrate that the petrol-engined car has a future.

The multi-national oil company will fund the development of an efficient city carGETTY

The multi-national oil company will fund the development of an efficient city car

Shell, the multinational oil company, is funding the development of an ultra-compact, efficient car for city use based around the internal combustion engine.

The company will work with Professor Gordon Murray – who designed Formula One cars for Brabham and McLaren teams, as well as the McLaren F1 road car – and engine specialist Osamu Goto to build what is intended to be a simple, practical car that could be used in cities all over the world. It will use the latest thinking on lightweight engineering, streamlining, and driveline efficiency and, once built, will be tested on the road.

The concept is intended to contribute to the debate on maximising personal mobility while minimising energy use, and helping citizens of increasingly congested global cities, which, by 2050, could contain two-thirds of the world’s population, according to UN estimates.

The collaboration, called Project M, will be a product of The Gordon Murray Design Group, engine specialist Geo Technology and Shell’s Lubricants Technology Team, with the oil company providing the fluids for the car, specifically ‘designing’ the motor oil that it hopes will complement and enhance the overall efficiency of the vehicle.

Selda Gunsel, Shell’s vice-president of Lubricants Technology, said: “Since working with the Gordon Murray Design team on the T.25 car in 2010, we have given further thought on how to deliver a complete rethink of the car, using as little energy as possible.

We believe this Shell car will demonstrate how efficient a car can be when Shell works in harmony with vehicle and engine makers during design and build, supplying fuels and lubricants technical expertise.”

The Shell car is scheduled to be unveiled in November 2015 and people will be able to follow the development of the car through the website www.shell.com/Projectm.

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