Morgan EV3: an electric 3 wheeler

By Miles Downard

Morgan Motor Company, for those who don’t know, is a small family owned car manufacturer based in the UK’s West Midlands. The company is well known for it’s series of open top sports cars but in fact their roots are set in something less conventional, something with only three wheels.

Which brings me to this, the Morgan EV3. It is a three-wheeler ā€˜carā€™ that takes design inspiration those early days before the second world war, only what lies beneath the hood is a technology firmly set in the future. Yes, that’s right, the EV3Ā features a fully electric drivetrain.

Frazer-Nash Energy Systems is the company responsible for propulsion in this project. Their system will feature a 35kW motor hooked up to a 21kWh lithium battery. From a construction point of view Morgan takes the reigns, utilising composite carbon panels for the first time to make up the bonnet, tonneau cover and side pods while the remaining panels will be aluminium. Tradition is not lost though, those panels will still sit over a hand crafted ash wood frame.

The car is set to weigh less than 500kg thanks to the liberal use of carbon and aluminium, so while the power figures don’t seem terribly impressive the 0-100km/h sprint will take less than 9 seconds. Top speed will be in the region of 150km/h while a single charge will carry you some 200km.

Pricing in the UK is said to start atĀ Ā£30 000 and while this is far from a practical form of transport, it must be said that I rather like the way it looks, as well as the blend of old and new technologies that come together in this brilliant bit of craftsmanship.

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