Morgan preparing for hybrid and pure electric future

Morgan has announced that it will spend almost $12 million investing in hybrid and pure-electric powertrains and upgrade its current manufacturing facility to prepare for the new technology.

The small Malvern-based British sportscar-maker also said it will team up with hybrid and pure-electric experts Potenza Technology, Delta Motorsports and the Advanced Propulsion Centre to fast-forward the development of its future ultra-low emission engines.

The move to hybrid and pure-electric drivetrain technology, says Morgan, is compelled by a “jump in demand” for cleaner sports cars.

Later this year Morgan will launch its very first pure-electric sports car based on the 3 Wheeler it recently launched in Australia.

The electric 3 Wheeler concept unveiled at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed came powered by a single rear-mounted 75kW electric motor, the new electric Morgan is said to weigh less than 450kg and cover up to 250km between charges.

Significantly quicker than the less powerful petrol 2.0-litre V-twin version, the new electric 3 Wheeler is expected to sprint to 100km/h in less than six seconds and have a top speed approaching 200km/h.

It’s not known whether Morgan plans to begin re-engineering its current range of cars with hybrid or pure electric powerplants or if it plans to introduce a new stand-alone vehicle to showcase its new technology.

Commenting on the new million dollar investment, Morgan’s MD, Steve Morris, said: “This is a very exciting project for us. We have been involved in the research and development of new propulsion technology since the inception of the LifeCar project almost 10 years ago. We are now ready to develop the best hybrid and electric drivetrain solutions for production implementation before the end of the decade.”