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.
Morgan XP-1, prototype only, Morgan Motor Company, Morgan-Motor.com
-
Beach chic: the all-new Citroën Ami gets an acid-tinged, open-air Buggy variantCitroën have brought a dose of polychromatic playfulness to their new generation Ami microcar, the cult all-ages electric quadricycle that channels the spirit of the 2CV for the modern age
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Rosewood Miyakojima: ‘Japan, but not as most people know it’Rosewood Miyakojima offers a smooth balance of intuitive Japanese ‘omotenashi’ fused with Rosewood’s luxury edge
-
Thrilling, demanding, grotesque and theatrical: what to see at Berlin Gallery WeekendBerlin Gallery Weekend is back for 2025, and with over 50 galleries taking part, there's lots to see
-
Mika Cars wants to build the Mino, a sporty, ultra-compact electric two-seater for the open roadAn evolution of Mika’s Meon electric beach buggy, the little Mino is an ultra-light EV with big-car aspirations
-
Our pick of the reveals at the 2025 New York Auto Show, from concept SUVs to new EVsInterest in overseas brands remained strong at this year’s NY Auto Show despite the threat of tariffs designed to boost American-owned brands
-
Mercedes-Benz previews its next-gen people mover with an ultra-luxury EV conceptThe Mercedes-Benz Vision V Concept is an art deco picture palace on wheels, designed to immerse passengers in parallel worlds as they travel
-
2025 Seoul Mobility Show report: all that's new and notableOpened at a time of high national drama, the 2025 Seoul Mobility Show has gone on to underscore Korea’s place at the cutting edge of the auto industry. Guy Bird was there
-
Meet the final drivable prototype of the Telo MT1 pickup truck, shaped by FuseprojectThe Telo MT1 is a modestly scaled EV that turns the traditional all-American approach to pick-up truck design on its head
-
EV start-up Halcyon transforms a classic 1970s Rolls-Royce into a smooth electric operatorThis 1978 Rolls-Royce Corniche is the first fruit of a new electric restomod company, the Surrey-based Halcyon
-
China’s Leapmotor pounces on the European car market with its T03 city car and C10 SUVLeapmotor’s tiny electric city car could be just the tonic for cramped urban Europe. We sample the T03 and its new sibling, the fully loaded C10 SUV, to see if the company’s value proposition stacks up
-
Wallpaper* takes the wheel of the Bentley Blower Jnr for a rich automotive experienceHedley Studios has shrunk the mighty Bentley Blower into this all-electric, road-legal barnstormer. We take it to the streets of London
