August 20, 2008

As British Olympians win more and more gold medals in Beijing, gold has been struck in Norfolk, and it’s the sort that you thought only existed at the end of a rainbow.  Trident Performance Vehicles have designed and built a two-seater sports car that has a top speed over 200mph, goes from 0-60mph in under 4 seconds and returns as much as 100mpg, OK not quite that when gunning for top speeds, but it returns an incredible 68.9 mpg at 70 mph!

The story keeps on getting better as the Iceni is an oil burner and will run on biodiesel, which can be used without any invalidation of warranty, adjustment to the engine or affect on performance!

Their fantastic fuel economy is achieved through technology called torque multiplication, which can be applied to all diesel cars, buses, lorries and trains. The knowledge is available now, requires no further research and development and can make an immediate difference to the amount of emissions diesel vehicles produce. The British manufacturer potentially has a significant part of the solution to the pressing global problems of emissions and peak oil.

Trident applied for funding for this research to many government backed organisations that exist to provide grants to people and/or companies that can contribute to or offer a solution to environmental issues.  They approached: Carbon Trust, EEDA (East of England Development Agency), Carbon Connections, HGCA (Home Grown Cereals Association), EEMS (Energy Efficiency in Motor Sport), Energy Savings Trust, Renewables East and received nothing from any of them!  Not only have they received no money but have struggled to get reasons for why they have failed and have been unable to find out to whom any of these grants have in fact been paid.

The team at Trident have invested £2.3m in the project which has enabled the completion of all the development needed to get the Iceni into production. They're now seeking funds to make this happen and satisfy their growing bank of customers.

The figure of 68.9mph at a constant 70mph was the first achieved at Millbrook Proving Ground. The figure improve at lower speeds and at 30mph, Trident's initial tests returned 108mpg, what a city performer! This figure is yet to be confirmed and will be verified, along with the emissions figures later in the year.  The team are hoping to come in lower than 120g/km of CO2 and to qualify for class B VED of £35 per year.

The Iceni is a traditional grand tourer and will return around 2000 miles from a full tank of fuel.  The boot has space for luggage and golf clubs – enough for a two week holiday.  The chassis is made from stainless steel and is guaranteed against corrosion for 100 years and the body is made from composite and can therefore never rust or degrade.

With the Iceni, Trident seem to have managed to combine performance and economy at the highest level of both.  They have done so on a shoestring budget, with no government assistance.  Their research and dedication have produced incredible results with next to no backing so lets hope they get the backing they need to produce the car commercially and put the UK motoring industry back to the top of the medals table.

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