In the automotive world, few people can compete in conservatism with the British company Morgan. For example, it has only recently switched to aluminum in the construction of bodies, before using wooden frames. However, the British began to think about electric cars ahead of time. Back in 2016, a three—wheeled prototype of the Morgan EV3 was introduced, although the production of such machines has not begun – according to the official version, due to problems with suppliers. Now a second attempt has been made: an electric prototype of the Morgan XP-1 is shown.
Morgan EV3 2016
A three-wheeled sports car is again used as a basis, but this time a new generation: the gasoline-powered Morgan Super 3 debuted last year. It took one year to build an electric prototype. Surprisingly, the XP-1 is the first Morgan, the power plant of which is fully developed within the walls of the company! So far, the company has used purchased units, and even a seven-year-old prototype had an electric motor from a third-party company Ashwoods.
The characteristics of its own power plant have not been disclosed, but the refusal of third-party services allowed engineers not only to gain absolute control over the process of creating a tricycle, but also to develop their own methods for calculating power reserve, energy consumption, energy efficiency and aerodynamics. By the way, the aerodynamic drag coefficient of the XP-1 is one third less than that of the gasoline donor.
The company calls XP-1 only a harbinger of future mass-produced electric vehicles of the brand, and strongly emphasizes its experimental nature. For example, the creation of this prototype helped engineers and designers to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to develop previously unfamiliar electric powertrains, specific chassis settings and new methods of testing and tuning an electric vehicle. It will take another one and a half to two years for comprehensive testing and fine—tuning of the machine. And only then will electric Morgans be able to enter the market.