Magna and NRC team up to shed pounds

"Simplify. Then add lightness" was Colin Chapman's motto for building his successful club racers in the 1960s. The premise was that performance could be maintained or even increased by reducing the weight of individual components and the elimination of unnecessary equipment; while actually reducing the output of the engine.

This was an equation that worked well then; and may very well hold the secret to building viable electric cars in the future.

On Friday, federal Industry Minister Tony Clement joined Don Walker, Co-Chief Executive of Magna International Inc. to announce a new alliance between Magna and the National Research Council of Canada to investigate composite technologies. The cornerstone of the partnership will be a $7.4 Million facility in Concord, Ontario called the Magna-NRC Composite Centre of Excellence.

"If we can reduce weight and resistance then obviously we can downsize the battery in cost and weight but get the same performance," said Don Walker.

The centre, which will become operational by next summer, aims to introduce new ideas in thermoplastic composites; whilst providing access for smaller companies in the automotive sector to vast resources and equipment previously only available to large companies such as Magna.

There is no word on how many jobs the centre will create.

[Source: The Toronto Star]