mondragon cooperative enters electric car market

[Timothy Hitchcock]

http://www.mondragon-corporation.com/ENG/Press-room/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1480.aspx

MONDRAGON Automoción presents its “Electric car/Sustainable mobility” project

• Date: martes, 22 de junio de 2010

MONDRAGON Automoción today presented at the Garaia Innovation ParkGaraia Innovation Park its credentials as an integrated automotive supplier faced with the new panorama of sustainable mobility which is on the horizon for the sector worldwide. The city car is the result of the work that has been carried out on “Sustainable Mobility” over the last year and a half and which is going to lead to the development of new products, activities and businesses in the automotive sector.

 

In addition to showing its own model of city car, it has also presented several initiatives and specific projects aimed at consolidating its position as a benchmark in the sector worldwide.

 

City car. This is the first city car designed and developed by different companies that are part of MONDRAGON. Indeed, the materialisation of this project has been a true exercise of co-operation led by MONDRAGON Automoción with the participation of the Edertek Technology Centre, Koniker and MTC Maier Technology Centre; Mondragón Eskola Politeknikoa and LKS Diara, with the backing of the experience of Lotus Engineering for the project.

 

The electric city car designed by MONDRAGON has a 45 Kw engine, accelerates from 0 to 50 Km/h in 5 seconds, has a maximum speed of 105 km/h and can travel 80 kilometres before it needs recharging. Passenger safety has been the most important criteria in the design of the vehicle. Its front structure has been especially designed to absorb impacts and is equipped with 9 airbags as standard. It is a car designed for four people which in addition to the boot at the back, has additional luggage space at the front which is very useful in the city.

 

Lotus Range Extender. Also this week, Fagor Ederlan and Lotus Engineering have signed an agreement identifying the key points for the development of an Eco-engine generator for subsequent manufacture. The agreement will enable Fagor Ederlan to develop a new business to design, manufacture and market these engines for the automotive sector. The Lotus Range Extender will be a new ecological engine for the electric cars of the future, which enable a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to today’s cars. The first prototype was presented by Lotus Engineering at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

 

The current framework for collaboration between Fagor Ederlan and Lotus Engineering establishes a collaborative R&D plan, which will lead to the future manufacture and assembly of Range Extender engines in the Basque Country. The new engine will be developed over the period 2010 to 2013 by a mixed team of 60 research engineers from Lotus and Edertek, the Fagor Ederlan Group’s R&D unit. 

 

CIDIA. New recently set up services co-operative in which MONDRAGON Automoción andMondragón Eskola Politeknikoa are taking part. It is an R&D centre for the development of cars which has been set up with a triple purpose. On the one hand, it will be a body at the service of MONDRAGON Automoción to promote new businesses and activities; it will also enable Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa to structure research around the automotive sector; and finally, it will establish a body of researchers –it is initially employing 7 people– to make integrated vehicle development possible.

 

MONDRAGON Automoción is going to maintain its main strategy as a top supplier group for car manufacturers. It also aims to take advantage of the opportunities of the electric car to improve collaboration with its customers and believes that in this scenario of important changes it can aspire to produce electric cars in the future.

 

“Electric car/Sustainable mobility” project data

 

- 35 researchers have been working a year and a half to get this electric car project up and running.

- Currently 130 MONDRAGON researchers are working on the development of products linked to the electric car.

- The plans are to invest €15m to develop programmes in the short term.

 

MONDRAGON Automoción is made up of a dozen companies that had overall sales in excess of €1.3bn and employ around 9,000 people.

 

The MONDRAGON Corporation is structured around four areas: Finance, Industry, Retail and Knowledge, and is today the leading Basque business group and the seventh biggest in Spain. In 2009 it posted a turnover of close to €15bn with a workforce averaging in excess of 85,000 people.

 

www.mondragon-corporation.com

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