Tuesday 6th March 2012

Geneva 2012: Morgan Plus E and Plus 8

Like a Morgan, but with electric power...

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Morgan has taken the wraps off its Morgan Plus E at the Geneva show, an electric version of its classic roadster, but with - get this - a manual gearbox.

As we found out when we first wrote about the Plus E, the transmission is a conventional Morgan-supplied five-speeder with a clutch.

The project is the work of Zytek Automotive. "The key aspect was to get the fun back into electric vehicles," technical programme manager , Neil Cheeseman told us. "What does a manual gearbox in an electric car actually feel like? We decided to build one to find out."

Underneath, the Plus E uses the same aluminium fame as the new Plus 8 (as run in pre-production form by Chris Harris here on PH), which also gets its debut at Geneva, and is effectively an updated version of the chassis from the Aero 8.

Chatting to Morgan's chief designer Matthew Humphries on the stand (who plays a thoroughly convincing impromptu PR role - how many designers are willing to do that?), it seems that actual working cars are a little way off yet. But only a matter of weeks, and you can forgive a show car for being a bit cobbled together.

The concept is intriguing, though, with 160hp, 280lb ft of torque, a top speed of 115mph and a 0-60mph sprint of around 6.0 seconds.

"The only worry people really seem to have is the noise," says Humphries, "but I reckon it'll be great - kind of a Sci-fi edge." Morgan meets Wipeout, then. Sounds good to us...

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Nice idea mating a manual gearbox to an electric motor.

[0a]

That's more like it, you can keep your fat Bentleys!

I hope Morgan get LOADS of press pieces from this.

[LuS1fer]

An electric banana with a 5 speed box. I like it.

[theJT]

That just looks... fun. I always wondered why no one had just taken an ordinary car and stuck an electric motor on the end of the gearbox that was already there.

[rtz62]

Surely the motoring equivalent of some designer climbing Nelsons Column, chipping some stone away, and, voila! Horatio HomeBoy, wearing baggy jeans, hoodie and baseball cap.
I thought people lived, and bought Morgans because they are an anachronism and refuse to comply.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear....

[rtz62]

Surely the motoring equivalent of some designer climbing Nelsons Column, chipping some stone away, and, voila! Horatio HomeBoy, wearing baggy jeans, hoodie and baseball cap.
I thought people loved, and bought Morgans because they are an anachronism and refuse to comply.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear....

[WillBrumBrum]

One area they could look at is the under bonnet attractiveness of this electric Morgan.


This is a little more traditional.

[Ryvita]

Hmm. Would I be right in thinking that this car would be "unstallable"? I'm basing this on the half-remembered belief that electric motors can generate ~100% torque from zero revs, correct? Or is that not right?

I'm trying to imagine what the experience would be of lifting the clutch up on such a torquey motor. Would you just immediately slip the rear wheels ever time you tried to pull away? (Or alternatively completely destroy the clutch in short order...) Does it still have a flywheel to generate some inertia to counteract this?

Either way I'm intrigued.

[Vilhelm]

Ryvita said:

Hmm. Would I be right in thinking that this car would be "unstallable"? I'm basing this on the half-remembered belief that electric motors can generate ~100% torque from zero revs, correct? Or is that not right?

I'm trying to imagine what the experience would be of lifting the clutch up on such a torquey motor. Would you just immediately slip the rear wheels ever time you tried to pull away? (Or alternatively completely destroy the clutch in short order...) Does it still have a flywheel to generate some inertia to counteract this?

Either way I'm intrigued.

I imagine the motor will not be spinning at 0% throttle, unlike an internal combustion engine, which will be spinning. Because of this, you wouldn't move if you select first until you apply throttle.

[Graham]

iirc, there is some sort of limiter on the tourque in the lower gears

[tommy vercetti]

This might be a stupd question, but what happened to the Morgan Eva GT?

[Lordbenny]

What wheels (as in who makes 'em) are they?

[Dave Hedgehog]

aero 8 a big yes

eleccy powered not so sure

[mike-r]

rtz62 said:

Surely the motoring equivalent of some designer climbing Nelsons Column, chipping some stone away, and, voila! Horatio HomeBoy, wearing baggy jeans, hoodie and baseball cap.
I thought people loved, and bought Morgans because they are an anachronism and refuse to comply.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear....

True anarchists and nonconformists shouldn't even be driving

I like it, electric motors or V8s should be the only options available on all cars IMO.

[wilfandrowlf]

I thought the whole idea of an electric motor was the fact that a gearbox wasn't required? I can't see the point, surely it would mean more weight and loads more mechanical losses?
Like the colour though....

[DJRC]

tommy vercetti said:

This might be a stupd question, but what happened to the Morgan Eva GT?

Dont ask

[mikEsprit]

We now have the answer to the question "Which paint color will make a Morgan look like a kit car?"

[thinfourth2]

rtz62 said:

Surely the motoring equivalent of some designer climbing Nelsons Column, chipping some stone away, and, voila! Horatio HomeBoy, wearing baggy jeans, hoodie and baseball cap.
I thought people loved, and bought Morgans because they are an anachronism and refuse to comply.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear....

How is fitting what should be a sportscar with a shouty V8 with an electric motor complying?

Cars with electric motors should be apologetic little town cars

I love it

I want one just to annoy tree huggers

[pSyCoSiS]

Not really my cup of tea, but I like what they have done.

[dvs_dave]

DJRC said:

tommy vercetti said:

This might be a stupd question, but what happened to the Morgan Eva GT?

Dont ask

And the 5 grand deposits they were taking???