The electric future seems inevitable, even for small-scale carmakers. Proof of this is the all-new three-wheeled Morgan XP-1, the British marque’s debut all-electric development prototype. Though not intended for production, the XP-1 does confirm that Morgan is going down the EV route. In the words of Morgan, the “XP-1 will act as the forerunner to all future electric Morgan sports cars. The experimental prototype will provide key information to Morgan’s engineers and designers as they embark on the development of the company’s first production electric models.”
Based on the monocoque chassis of the Ford-powered Morgan Super 3, the XP-1 also marks the debut of Morgan’s first in-house developed powertrain. It features a 100kW electric motor mounted in the transmission tunnel, which is fed power by a 33kWh battery pack located in the front hood (where the conventional engine is located). The e-motor powers the single rear wheel, and on a full charge, the XP-1 can drive up to a little over 240km. The battery also supports fast charging and bi-directional charging capability.
For a sports car manufacturer with a key focus on keeping the vehicle weight low, putting in a battery pack and an electric motor can be challenging, especially when using the chassis of a conventional, fuel-powered model. However, despite the challenge, Morgan engineers have managed to restrict the XP-1’s weight to about 700kg, which is about 60kg heavier than the Super 3 – not a bad figure to run with. To cope with the extra weight, the XP-1 has been fitted with adjustable Nitron shock absorbers with revised spring rates. Moreover, several body tweaks have also resulted in the XP-1 having a 33% lower drag coefficient than the Super 3.
Morgan has also prepped an all-new digital in-car display to allow for user interface (UI) experimentation. One of the key highlights seen on the display is the rather hilarious representation of the four selectable drive modes, each represented by a chilli symbol.
Morgan claims the XP-1 design and build has taken about 12 months. However, we are far from seeing a production Morgan EV anytime soon, as the XP-1 will now undergo comprehensive testing over the next 18-24 months.