Morgan Ditches Electric 3 Wheeler Plans Due To Powertrain Supplier Issues

Morgan has axed its plans to sell an all-electric version of the unique 3 Wheeler.

The British company first unveiled the EV3 at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and promised that it would hit the market in 2018 and be limited to just 19 units before mass-production commenced. In a surprising turn of events, Morgan revealed to Autocar that the car has been axed.

In a statement, managing director Steve Morris said the EV3 has been killed because “our current EV powertrain supplier is no longer able to fulfill the project within the terms of the contract”.

That supplier was meant to be Frazer-Nash Energy Systems, a company based in the UK. The firm confirmed that the deal had failed, but did not provide any details.

Despite axing the electric 3 Wheeler, Morgan says it remains committed to electric technologies and will continue to develop them.

“We had expected Frazer-Nash to deliver a turn-key powertrain for the EV3, but have since realized we need more EV know-how inside our Malvern headquarters. We are in the process of bolstering our EV team by bringing additional specialist resource in-house,” the marque said.

When first revealed, the EV3 ditched the 3 Wheeler’s 80 hp V-twin engine in favor of a 56 hp electric motor with liquid-cooling and mated to a 21 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Morgan also developed a new lightweight carbon fiber body for the electric 3 Wheeler which meant it was actually lighter than the ICE-powered model, tipping the scales at less than 500 kg (1100 lbs).

The car could apparently reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 9 seconds and hit a top speed exceeding 90 mph (144 km/h).