Ariel E-Nomad concept: the specialist car maker goes electric

Hot on the heels of the newly revised Ariel Nomad 2 comes this all-electric concept, the Ariel E-Nomad. The bespoke British manufacturer has taken the Nomad 2 and stripped out its combustion engine, replacing it with a single-speed gearbox and a rear electric motor.

Remarkably, Ariel has kept the weight down and even with a 41kWh battery pack (good for around 150 miles, if you’re not too aggressive on the throttle) the E-Nomad weighs under 900kg. The Nomad 2 and E-Nomad could never be described as practical day-to-day cars; they are pure driver’s machines.

The first home-grown manufacturer to get an enthusiast-approved electric two-seater is going to reap the benefits. Right now, there’s nothing else on the market that matches this blend of zero emissions and entertainment.

That low weight and pure EV power give the E-Nomad a power output of 281bhp, good enough for a 3.4 second 0-60mph sprint and also flexible enough to allow the off-roader to crawl across rough terrain. One aspect of the design that kept the weight down is the use of special flax fibre bio-composite body panels, around 9 per cent lighter than carbon fibre and also far more environmentally efficient to make.

The Ariel E-Nomad's experimental bodywork

The experimental bodywork was developed by Oxfordshire-based BAMD Composites, and combines flax fibres paired with bio-composite ‘power ribs’ for strength. In addition to the custom battery pack, the E-Nomad also has regenerative braking and two driving modes, ECO and Sport. The car’s efficiency is further increased by the roof panel, notably absent from Ariel’s other production vehicles.

The E-Nomad is rear-wheel-drive and designed to be beautifully balanced, like all of the Somerset-based company's products, which started with the iconic Ariel Atom back in 2000. If anything, the addition of instant electric torque gives the electric model an even more entertaining ride.

‘While the E-Nomad is a concept, it does show production intent for the vehicle and hints at just a small part of Ariel’s future,’ says Ariel’s director Simon Saunders. ‘Once it has been through our usual, gruelling testing regime we could opt to add E-Nomad alongside its ICE Nomad 2 sibling, so we’ll take great interest in customer feedback on the concept car.’

Ariel E-Nomad, concept only, ArielMotor.co.uk, @arielmotorcompany

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.