Morgan is going electric, and it’s built a battery-powered Super 3 to …
Specialist low-volume car firms are faced with a difficult task in the electric age. The switch to EVs[1] threatens to remove some of the essential appeal of their products, and the feel and sound of an internal combustion engine will be hard to replace.
Morgan[2] is exploring how to conjure the involvement and character it's customers expect with this: the all-electric XP-1 prototype. Based on the three-wheeled Super 3[3], the XP-1 doesn't foreshadow a production car, but it does provide a glimpse at the EV technology Morgan will apply to future models.
The Super 3’s aluminium platform forms the basis of the XP-1, but its outer skin has been redesigned for better efficiency – a smoother front apron and aerodynamic wheel covers contribute to a 33 per cent reduction in drag.
The Super 3’s Ford[4]-derived three-cylinder engine has been swapped out for a bespoke electric motor and battery setup, and while powertrain specifications haven't been disclosed, the components have been designed to achieve a comparable overall weight figure to the petrol car (for reference, the Super 3 comes in at 635kg). Images of the XP-1's range readout indicates that 87 miles will be possible from a 78 per cent charge, so expect a maximum range of around 112 miles.
The key, though, is in how the powertrain electronics can be tuned to deliver a more interactive drive. Morgan is light on details in this respect, but notes that the XP-1 gives its engineers ‘complete control of calibrations that vary the throttle and regeneration level at different speeds, in order to create a range of driving modes featuring a mix of driving characteristics’. Fast charging with bi-directional energy delivery is also promised.
The cockpit and controls are familiar to that of the Super 3, albeit with a new digital instrument pack to display key EV driving information and an electronic handbrake – a first for a Morgan. The XP-1 project was conceived over 12 months, and it'll now embark on an extensive testing program to inform Morgan's EV development direction.