Kamkorp
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| Private company | |
| Industry | Research and Development |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Website | www.kamkorp.com |
The Kamkorp Group is a privately held holding company, encompassing a wide range of businesses but operates mainly as Frazer-Nash Research Ltd. It is owned by UK-based Indian businessman Kamal Siddiqi. Over the past 25 years, the Kamkorp Group has developed proprietary digital electric and hybrid electric powertrains and products for the transportation and industrial markets. The company has produced various automobile prototypes under the brands Frazer-Nash and Metrocab. It also owns Bristol Cars, under which brand Project Pinnacle is being developed, but little concrete information has been released, apart from teaser images and videos (as of October 2015).
 | |
| Private company | |
| Industry | Research and Development |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Website | www.fn-research.com |
Frazer-Nash Research Limited (FNR)
Frazer-Nash Research Limited is a British Research and Development company and the powerhouse of the Kamkorp Group of Companies.
Expertise and Innovation
Frazer-Nash Research Ltd (FNR) develop projects from concept through to low volume production. In house capabilities include mechanics, electronics, software, electrical, industrial and automotive engineering. All components of FN Range-Extended Electric powertrain are designed in-house, using systems and sub-systems developed and built within the Group companies.
Range-Extended Electric Powertrain
FNR developed a Range-Extended Electric (REE) powertrain that has been applied to a variety of vehicle platforms from city cars to low-cost mass-transit monorails. The vehicles are electric vehicles, with an internal combustion engine (range extender) powering a matched generator, as an auxiliary power unit, charging the battery pack and/or providing energy directly to the electric motors.
Applications
Frazer-Nash technology has been applied to a range of vehicle platforms and products, some developed in-house by FNR, and others developed in partnership with OEMs.
1990s
Solar Baby
A zero emission people mover.
Go Kart
The electric Go Kart was Frazer-Nash Research’s first electric drive product.
2000s
Sense City Car
An electric vehicle (EV) designed for city and urban use.
Road Train
The Road Runner introduced a variety of advanced proprietary innovations. The vehicle had a 12 motor configuration (4 per carriage) and was capable of carrying up to 45 passengers.
Windsor
The Windsor was designed for golf courses, large estates, residential neighbourhoods and parks.
2010s
Frazer-Nash Research collaborated with Proton Cars of Malaysia to produce the Proton Saga, an electric 4-seater saloon, and the Proton Exora, a range-extended electric 7-seater MPV. The FN technology allowed these vehicles to far surpass their petrol counterparts. Proton Cars entered the range-extended electric Exora into the RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge (FCC), one of the biggest electric and hybrid car competitions worldwide. Winners were determined in terms of which car is the most fuel efficient and least polluting. The Proton Exora won in its category for two consecutive years.[1]
The Frazer-Nash Namir, a prototype of a two-seater supercar billed as the “world’s fastest hybrid”, was presented at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. It was stated it was capable of 187 mph with economy of 160mpg. According to Autocar magazine, “Frazer-Nash developed and supplied the four-motor powertrain, while Italdesign Giugiaro engineered and built everything else, from suspension to the carbonfibre tub.”[2] The prototype performed a demonstration run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later in 2009.[3]
The Metrail Monorail system, with its core Frazer-Nash powertrain technology, utilises the latest advances in microelectronics, lightweight composite materials and computerised traction systems. The Metrail system benefits from a self-contained on board energy system, ruling out the need for a ‘third rail’.
The Metrocab is a Zero Emissions Capable taxi currently on trial in London. The Metrocab, like most of the above applications has the core FN powertrain technology. The taxi is driven by two electric motors, with a 1-litre petrol engine used to recharge the battery pack, coupled with an optimised generator. Charging whilst on the go takes as little as 10 minutes, alternative charging can be achieved via any electric mains outlet.
Notable Group Milestones
1991: Frazer-Nash Research New Ownership
Frazer-Nash Research Limited (FNR) is the flagship company of the Kamkorp Group, and is a Research and Development company. Frazer-Nash Research focuses the development of multi-motor EV powertrain technology.[4]
1998: Malaysian Commonwealth Games
Frazer-Nash Research manufactures and supplies 120 electric vehicles for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The vehicles provided were also used by Team GB to navigate the Commonwealth Park.
2000: Sydney Olympic Games
Frazer-Nash was the exclusive supplier of electric vehicles to the Olympic Games in Sydney in September 2000, providing over 300 vehicles to carry police officers, officials, athletes and equipment around the Olympic Park.[5]
2003: Metrail demonstrator Malaysia
Extending the Frazer-Nash powertrain platform, on the 18th of September 2003, Metrail part of the Kamkorp Group established a test demonstration facility for its electric Monorail system in Nilai, Malaysia. The monorail was constructed over a 6-month period and operated for over 9 years.[6]
2004: Kamkorp Buys London Taxi manufacturer Metrocab
Ecotive Ltd, part of the Kamkorp Group of Companies, became the new owners of the Metrocab brand in 2004, collaborating with R&D Company Frazer-Nash Research Ltd to design and develop a Metrocab taxi for greener and more sustainable transport in compliance with the upcoming Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London. In 2014 the Metrocab became the world’s first REE Taxi licensed by any major metropolitan area in the world,[7] a trial fleet was deployed in London marking this milestone. Ecotive Ltd partnered with Global Manufacturing Specialist Multimatic to take the product into production for Mayor Boris Johnsons Zero-Emissions-Capable target date of 1 January 2018.[8]
2011: Group Buys Luxury Car Maker Bristol Cars
The assets of the former Bristol Cars Limited and Bristol Cars Services Limited were purchased by the Kamkorp Group.[9]
Bristol Cars Limited and Bristol Cars Services Limited, part of Bristol Automotive Group, are engaged in the manufacturing and trading of luxury cars with headquarters in Kensington, London.[10]
2014: The Kamkorp Group buys significant shares in URT Group
URT Group is a composites manufacturer and engineering solutions provider. URT designs, machines and manufactures composite components.[11]
References
- ↑ http://www.greencarguide.co.uk/features/see-2011-full-results/
- ↑ Frazer Nash returns in Geneva
- ↑ Youtube: FN Hybrid-Electric Namir at Goodwood 2009
- ↑ http://fn-research.com/
- ↑ http://www.evuk.co.uk/hotwires/rawstuff/art12.html
- ↑ http://www.metrail.com/
- ↑ http://newmetrocab.com/PDF/Metrocab_Press_Release-LTPH_Announcement.pdf
- ↑ http://www.newmetrocab.com/
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-13156326
- ↑ http://www.bristolcars.co.uk/
- ↑ http://www.urtgroupltd.com/