Shell Shows Off an Ultra Energy Efficient Concept Car

Shell has introduced its ultra energy efficient concept car to the world.

Built around Gordon Murray Design’s patented iStream platform, the Shell concept car represents “a radical rethink on the way in which cars are designed, developed and produced,” said Shell. Weighing just 1,212 pounds, the subcompact city car features numerous components that were created using 3D printing to accelerate the construction of the prototype. It also uses recycled carbon fiber for its body and almost the entire car can be recycled at the end of its life.

According to Shell, if the concept car was to ever go into production, it could deliver material reductions in energy use in the automotive market.

SEE ALSO: Shell Working on New City Car Concept

In independent testing, the concept car delivered a 34-percent reduction in primary energy use over its entire lifecycle compared to a typical city car available in the United Kingdom. It also uses around half the energy required to build and run than a typical small family car and 69 percent less than that of a typical SUV.

On the U.S. cycle, it averages 89.1 mpg at 45 mph while emitting 28 percent less CO2 emissions than a typical gasoline-powered city car and 32 percent less than a hybrid. You can watch a video to learn more about the Shell concept car below.

“Our car may be small, but it’s packed with potential. We want to accelerate the conversation about how we make road vehicles more energy efficient and less carbon-intensive,” said Dr. Andrew Hepher, vice president of Shell’s lubricant research team. “In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to sharing our research insights from this project with engine designers, car manufacturers, academics and other experts across the automotive sector.”