Gordon Murray, previously of McLaren Racing fame, has unveiled his new T.27 Electric City Car. His company, Gordon Murray Design, claims it is the most efficient electric car in the world. A £9 million investment was all it took for the company to create a 2.5 meter long lightweight car to address all of the problems associated with city life. "Lightweight is the most powerful tool we have in our armory in the fight against emissions and fuel consumption. This is true of all cars," said Murray.

He continued: "especially electric vehicles, since a lightweight car means a lightweight battery, increasing the levels of safety and reducing the retail price dramatically." Half of the investment came from the UK government-backed Technology Strategy Board, to deal with such issues as CO2 emissions, parking, city congestion, and maintaining a low cost. Murray even patented a new means of manufacturing, called iStream, to produce a lighter and safe structure for city cars. The safety of the smaller, lighter structure even achieved first class results in the EuroNCAP 50km/h (30mph) crash test.

The T.27 contains a lithium-ion battery pack that takes 4.5 hours to acquire an 80 percent charge. The range is about 100 miles and accelerates from 0-62mph in just under 15 seconds. Top speed is governed at 65mph to protect its battery charge. Gordon Murray Design claims they are in talks with three possible manufacturers for production. Pricing for the 1,543lbs T.27 is expected to start around £14,000 to £15,000. As mentioned previously on Carbuzz, electric cars purchased in the UK will receive a £5,000 rebate, and the T.27 falls in that category. The T.27 will make its road debut at the RAC Future Car Challenge on November 5th.