Mark Slack – An electric future for a British motoring icon

Morgan is planning its electric future and sharing details of a new development vehicle that will act as the forerunner to all future electric Morgan sports cars.

Referred to as ‘XP-1’, the experimental prototype will provide key information to the engineers and designers at Morgan as they embark on creating the company’s first production electric models. Developed over the last 12 months by Morgan’s team of engineers based in Malvern, Worcestershire, England XP-1 is based on the Morgan Super 3 aluminium platform.

The striking prototype is not intended for production but has been created to trial several key areas including driving characterisation, powertrain development, in-house EV competence and training. Following 12 months of design and build, XP-1 will now embark on a comprehensive testing programme during the next 18-24 months, undergoing continual evolution to test new technology and features.

Matt Hole, Chief Technical Officer, Morgan Motor Company, said: “We are immensely proud to be sharing XP-1 with the world and showcasing some of the first class engineering that takes place behind the scenes at Morgan. We are in no doubt that we can ensure future electric Morgan sports cars retain the core appeal of our current range, meaning they are fun to drive, lightweight, handcrafted and bespoke.”

XP-1’s battery, motor and inverter combination represents Morgan’s first powertrain, internal combustion or battery electric. The powertrain, engineered specifically for XP-1, gives Morgan’s engineers complete control of calibrations that vary the throttle and regeneration level at different speeds, in order to create a range of driving modes featuring a mix of driving characteristics.

The Combined Charging System (CCS) enables fast charging and features bi-directional charging capability, two important features that will help to futureproof the company’s ongoing development activity. Further to this, and related directly to electric vehicle requirements, XP-1 is also the first ever Morgan to be fitted with an electronic park brake (EPB).

Beyond experimentation with driving characteristics and powertrain, XP-1 will also allow Morgan to develop a further understanding of wider EV technology and design, specifically aerodynamics.

In bringing the XP-1 project to fruition, Morgan also begins the extensive process of workforce training and infrastructure adaptation. Due to the company’s coachbuilding production methods, the creation of this internal knowledge base is vital for the future production of electric Morgan sports cars, and will centre around workshop readiness to build electric vehicles, training for high voltage systems handling and installation of charging infrastructure.

Morgan’s electric future awaits!