Electric Morgan on the way – 120-mile three-wheeler adds spark to Malvern Link. Morgan is joining forces with another iconic name from British motoring’s past as part of its project to put its all-electric EV3 into production this year. The Malvern company has formed a technical partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems to bring the new car to fruition.
Said to be inspired by the pre-war Aero three-wheeler, classic motorcycles and 1950s automatons, the new electric car will have a range of 120 miles and be the first Morgan to use composite panels. For more sporting driving, the low centre of gravity will add to the Morgan’s handling prowess, while owners will be able to take advantage of the huge sprint pace and torque offered by EVs.
The 2018 Morgan EV3 was sired by the 2012 Plus E concept, but the link-up with Frazer-Nash is said to offer more performance and reliability than previously expected. The production EV3 will feature all-new, more robust architecture, greater levels of torque, a stiffer chassis and an underslung battery. Encased within the tubular spaceframe chassis is a 21 kWh lithium battery and a liquid-cooled 34.8kW (41.8kW peak) FN motor driving the rear wheel. Production will start at the Pickersleigh Road factory in the autumn and Morgan reckons it will offer comparable performance to its petrol-powered sibling. Prices have yet to be announced.
The company is also to produce a run of 50 limited-edition Plus 8s (below) to mark the model’s half-century. These cars will be the last Plus 8s produced with the BMW 4.8-litre V8 engine. The anniversary edition is set to break cover on the company’s stand at the Geneva motor show in March.
