CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/620463
AUTOMOTIVE US distributor premiers afordable China-built CFRP-bodied cars, and conference speakers report on an investigation into ways to abbreviate certifcation testing and the implications of design faws in CF bike frames. In the November issue of CW, on the Table of Contents page (p. 1), under "COLUMNS" CW incorrectly identifed the author of our CW Past, Present and Future column as Adrian Peterson. Our November CW PP&F;, however, was written by Adrian Williams, co-founder and managing director of Future Materials Group (Cambridge, UK). Our apologies to Mr. Williams. CORRECTION In addition, on the opening page of Mr. Williams' article, titled "Selling your business, Part 2, Finding the right buyer, closing the deal" (p. 6), in the caption set above the Example Acquisitions Schedule at the bottom of that page, CW incorrectly defned the term SPA as "shared purchase agreement," when it should have read "share purchase agreement." CW regrets the errors. CompositesWorld.com 19 p r e m i e r s a f o r d a b l e C h i n a - b u i l t C F R P - b o d i e d c a r s , a n d k t i t i t i i t t b b i t TRENDS 2050 Motors to showcase China-built CFRP-bodied e-GO EV, Ibis to follow 2050 Motors Inc. (North Las Vegas, NV, US) announced on Nov. 15, 2015 that the frst of-the-assembly-line carbon- fber-bodied e-Go Electric EVs (electric vehicles) to enter the Western Hemisphere had arrived in the US the previous week. The company indicated the e-Go would be followed shortly by a "big brother," the Ibis (pronounced ee-bis), a full-size, all-carbon-fber body luxury sedan, with exterior styling that reportedly rivals the best European high-end sedans. Both EVs are to be showcased in Las Vegas to a private industry audience and then, at some point, opened to the general public for viewing. The e-Go vehicles also will undergo crash-testing in the US. Its lightweight carbon fber body and all-aluminum frame, 2050 Motors claims, makes the e-Go the world's most efcient automobile. Weighing less than 680 kg, including its battery pack, it is reportedly half the weight of most electric car competitors, including the BMW i3, and one- third the weight of the Tesla Model S. Further, the e-Go is intended for the mass consumer market in the US$32,000 to US$35,000 MSRP range, depending on options and before state and federal rebates and tax incentives. "We expect the e-Go to be signifcant competition for the much higher weight vehicles produced by General Motors, Nissan and, eventually, the Tesla Model 3, which is expected to be unveiled to the general public by 2016," says Michael Hu, president of 2050 Motors. Both vehicles, the company claims, will carry impressive warranty items, including a 10-year (unlimited mileage) warranty on their lithium battery packs. 2050 Motors was founded in 2012 to import and market electric- and gas-powered carbon-fber intensive vehicles engineered and designed in Italy and built in China. The e-Go is built by Jiangsu Aoxin New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu, China) at a plant capable of producing 20,000 units annually. The 18,580m 2 automobile plant was reportedly constructed in 120 days, and is said to be China's largest-volume CFRP car manufacturing facility. Further, it has China's frst electric car aluminum chassis robotic weld- ing production line and houses China's frst high-tempera- ture, high-pressure, vacuum-assisted carbon fber composite molding production line. Aoxin also is constructing a larger carbon fber/aluminum chassis manufacturing plant for the Ibis EV, capable of producing 100,000 cars per year. "Earlier this year, both the e-Go EV and the Ibis received rave reviews when they revealed the manufacturing facili- ties for the e-Go EV to a Chinese audience," says Hu. "The … unveiling was covered by national TV news media and many publications. We are excited to make our entrance into the American market, and anticipate another successful event." Aoxin reportedly has collected more than 20 of China's State Intellectual Property Ofce patents — among them, 11 invention patents — and has more than 20 other patents in the applications process. Source | 2050 Motors