Morgan’s electric future laid bare: British firm plots a truly exhilarating EV

Morgan may still be producing retro-styled sports cars, but the small Worcestershire-based car company is looking further into the future than ever before - especially in relation to electrification.

Speaking exclusively to Auto Express about the new Morgan XP-1 all-electric concept, Morgan CEO Massimo Fumarola said,  “What does it mean to drive like a Morgan? It means something light, analogue and fun. If you drive XP-1, it’s a Morgan. I can assure everyone that driving a fully-electric Morgan will come without compromise.”

Fumarola refrained from giving a date for when we could expect to see a production Morgan with pure-electric power, however. “We will go electric when there is demand”, he said. 

Morgan currently has a partnership with BMW, the German giant providing engines and gearboxes for the British firm. Asked on how this relationship could potentially grow with electrification, Fumarola said, “We have a very strong relationship with BMW, our business doesn’t change their balance sheet, but we enjoy going to Munich. The powertrains suit our cars, but in the future I don’t think BMW will give up on internal combustion engines, certainly not before 2035.”

The last Morgan coupes came in the form of the AeroMax and later, the Aero Coupe. Questioned on whether the first all-electric Morgan could herald the return of the coupe, Fumarola said: “I don’t know, but it is likely.”

Different body styles will be easier to coachbuild over electric platforms according to Morgan’s Chief Design Officer Jonathan Wells. He told Auto Express, “There are a lot of constraints to an internal combustion engine package, with EV you’ve got options. It gives us so much more freedom for packaging. We are preparing a platform with an eye on what could come in the future. We don’t want an off-the-shelf platform from someone else because we are not going to end up with a lightweight car with the correct proportions. A Morgan should have theatre and drama to look at and it should be lightweight and fun-to-drive.” 

Wells is also not worried about the possibility of electric power diluting the Morgan brand. “I’m not too concerned. The XP-1 has a thin aluminium sheet between you and the motor and it really whirs, the scrubbing of the tyres is more audible and you’ve still got flies in your teeth. No one can say it’s not an exciting car to drive.”

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