Morgan Motor Company reveals its new all-electric prototype
The Morgan XP-1 is the British manufacturer’s latest attempt at electrifying its iconic hand-crafted lightweight sports machines
![Morgan XP-1 Prototype by Morgan Motor Company](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/h7yNmy6E57jt4wbYjtKz5W-415-80.jpg)
British car manufacturer Morgan has survived by serving a niche. Founded 114 years ago, Morgan’s aesthetic approach is glacial at best, remaining trapped in producing a midcentury evocation of the classic small sports car. However, this approach has served the company very well for decades, and its current Plus Four and Plus Six models hew closely to that original template. Long waiting lists and a rabid, loyal following attest to its success.
Sure, there have been design diversions, such as the streamlined Aero Coupé, but the Morgan maxim has remained remarkably steadfast in the face of rapid changes in car culture. The current Morgan Super 3 marked another notable diversion; although this epic three-wheeler has its conceptual origins in the Morgan V-Twin, the first of which was built way back in 1911, it’s a very modern looking machine, minimalist, purposeful and for the absolute purist.
This is the Morgan XP-1, a prototype research machine that takes the Super 3 and adds the most crucial contemporary ingredient: electrification. Even micro-sized manufacturers like Morgan need to get in line with the electrification process, and the XP-1 Project is the first indication of how that might look and go.
Morgan describes it as a ‘test bed for design, manufacturing, and engineering evaluation’, a way of ensuring the company’s core qualities and characteristics can be translated into the EV era. A two-year development programme lies ahead, with many crucial areas to cover, including weight – the Super 3 comes in at a feather-light 635kg, less than many EV batteries – and drivability.
‘We are in no doubt that we can ensure future electric Morgan sports cars retain the core appeal of our current range,’ says Matt Hole, Morgan’s chief technical officer, ‘… they [have to be] fun to drive, lightweight, handcrafted and bespoke.’ A unique combination of battery and motor has been developed for the prototype, giving the engineering team the ability to try out a wide range of driving modes and dynamic feel. Revised aerodynamics will further help efficiency, with a bespoke interior display that’ll allow different approaches to the user interface to be tested.
It's not the first EV from the Malvern-based company. In 2009, it built a solitary example of the Plus E, an electrified version of the evergreen Plus 4 developed in collaboration with Zytek Automotive. Six years later it showed the EV3 three-wheeler at the Geneva Motor Show. This was the XP-1’s true forerunner, and although production was slated for 2017 the project peaked too soon and was eventually cancelled.
We’re confident that Morgan can finally make this monumental shift, as long as it takes advantage of newer developments in battery tech that can keep weight down to manageable levels. As for how far you can travel, the open-air, low-slung and loud Super 3 isn’t exactly geared up to be a comfortable long-distance GT; perhaps a shorter range for the XP-1’s eventual successor will be a blessing rather than a curse.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Morgan XP-1, prototype only, Morgan Motor Company, Morgan-Motor.com
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.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Cadillac SOLLEI Concept journeys on to the higher reaches of the auto market
Cadillac describes its all-electric four-seater convertible concept as an ‘ode to the sun’ as it moves even further upmarket
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Hongqi’s Giles Taylor on the Chinese car maker's imminent arrival in the UK
Hongqi makes China's state limousines. By 2026, it'll have a pair of premium EVs on UK roads. Giles Taylor, its VP of design, tells us about its design approach, and ambition in Europe
By Aysar Ghassan Published
-
We sample the world’s first all-electric DeLorean, a stainless steel marvel for the modern age
Electrogenic brings its brilliance with batteries and motors to bear on the iconic DeLorean DMC-12, giving this classic design the futuristic feel it deserves
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The pure electric Lotus Emeya GT looks and drives like a modern Lotus should
Lotus finds its groove with the elegant Emeya, a true 21st-century grand tourer
By Guy Bird Published
-
Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, takes us through the hypercar company’s plans
Automobili Pininfarina produces a select portfolio of one-of-a-kind hypercars. Next up, a ‘Luxury Utility Vehicle’. CEO Paolo Dellachà takes us into the future
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera is an esoteric Spanish hypercar
The reborn Spanish car brand continues to forge a unique path with the striking all-electric Carmen Sagrera, a celebration of 120 years of the Hispano Suiza name
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A unique electric Maserati marks a long-standing partnership with a legendary winery
The Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello Edition is a one-off celebration of Maserati’s bespoke division and the half century of Tignanello
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Croatian start-up Verne wants its svelte robo-cabs to reshape urban travel
Can the creators of Rimac’s electric hypercar transform urban mobility with Verne, their new autonomous start-up?
By Jonathan Bell Published