The seemingly incompatible united?
Can a modern electric powertrain be reconciled with Morgan’s brand values? As far as Morgan is concerned, yes! The English show the XP-1, a technical testing ground that will ultimately lead to an electric fun machine from the brand.
Wait a minute, there were electric Morgans before, right? More or less. In 2012, the manufacturer presented an electric version of the then current Plus 8 during the Geneva Motor Show: the Plus E. It never went into series production, nor did the three-wheeled EV3 shown in 2016 – which Kia would undoubtedly like. If it were to hit the market now – it would never see the light of day. The intended supplier of the electric drivetrain would not have succeeded in supplying a drivetrain suitable for the 3 Wheeler. But Morgan doesn’t give up. This XP-1 shows how things are going in the EV field.
The Morgan XP-1 is what the English call an experimental prototype. In Worcestshire, technicians have been working hard over the past 12 months on an electric three-wheeler based on the 3 Wheeler successor Super 3. Morgan has not yet released detailed technical specifications. It does indicate that the weight of the EV is comparable to that of the Super 3. To put that into perspective: the Super 3 only weighs 635 kilos. The XP-1 can charge bi-directionally and is the first Morgan ever with an electronic handbrake. The brand will conduct extensive testing with the XP-1 over the next 1.5 to 2 years.
Here and here you can read more about the Morgan Super 3 – with a 1.5 Ecoboost three-cylinder from Ford – on which the XP-1 is based.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl