Morgan Plus E

Morgan Motor Company doesn’t exactly portray itself as a cutting edge innovative manufacturer. With the exception of one or two, their cars look exactly the same as the day they first rolled of the production line.

However with the support of British technology specialists Zytek and Radshape, they’ve designed an electric sportscar with a five-speed manual gearbox – yes that’s right, a good old fashioned manual gearbox. Like a proper car.

It’s called the Plus E and is based on a tailored version of Morgan’s lightweight aluminium platform from the Plus 8. However where you’d normally find a BMW V8 is a new derivative of Zytek’s 70kW, 300Nm electric engine.

The odd bit is what is mounted in the transmission tunnel. The Zytek motor drives the rear wheels through a conventional five-speed manual gearbox. When the clutch pedal is pressed, electronic controls automatically match motor revs to the output shaft speed to ensure a perfect change.

“A multi-speed transmission allows the motor to spend more time operating in its sweet spot, where it uses energy more efficiently, particularly at high road speeds,” explained Zytek Automotive managing director Neil Heslington. “It also allows us to provide lower gearing for rapid acceleration and will make the car more engaging for keen drivers.”

While this Morgan is, at this stage, no more than a concept, the company has made it clear that should enough people show interest the Plus E will go into production. They’re serious too, with the ability to log your interest on the company’s website.

“We wanted to see how much fun you can have in an electric sportscar, so we have built one to help us find out,” explained Morgan operations director Steve Morris. Music to the ears of all electric-heads out there.

Miles Downard
First published in Autodealer KZN