Leicester University helps HIPERCAR get on track

The University’s Advanced Structural Dynamics Evaluation Centre (ASDEC) has been closely involved with the project to develop HIPERCAR (High Performance Carbon Reduction).

In common with other Ariel Motor Company vehicles, HIPERCAR will be designed for extreme performance and agility but will see the introduction of a low-emissions hybrid powertrain.

Set to be built in Somerset in four and two wheel drive variants, the Series Hybrid EV (Electric Vehicle) will feature a 750V, 42kWh or 56kWh, lithium-ion, cooled and heated battery pack which is charged by a 35kW micro-turbine range extender.

Based at MIRA Technology Park in Warwickshire, ASDEC is the UK’s first commercial 3D vibration consultancy and modal analysis centre based on advanced, non-contact laser Doppler vibrometry measurements.

Martin Cockrill, technical specialist at ASDEC, said: “The key to modern vehicle development at every level is computer simulation. It is the only way to get the maximum performance out of structures to achieve the requirements of body stiffness for exceptional vehicle dynamics whilst minimising weight.