Morris Commercial, a UK-based automotive engineering and manufacturing start-up, announced that it will soon be unveiling its stunning new electric light commercial vehicle, the Morris JE.
Boasting a state-of-the-art, full electric, lithium-ion battery powertrain, the new Morris JE is designed as a premium product with sensational styling, excellent functionality and a practical driving range for business and pleasure.
The vehicle benefits from a lightweight, modular chassis, making it highly adaptable for future derivatives. The combination of advanced lightweight chassis with a complete carbon fibre body makes the Morris JE one of the lightest LCVs in the marketplace. The result is an outstanding power-to-weight efficiency which fully maximises the range of the vehicle.
The original Morris J-type has long been referred to as the ultimate, iconic British van. First introduced in 1948 at Earls Court, London, the J-type was the archetypal ‘big’ little van, featuring charming styling with a ground-breaking load capacity-to-footprint ratio – an achievement that remains unsurpassed by any light commercial vehicle. Aside from its practicality and reliability, the J-type was extensively used for promotional and advertising purposes thanks to its distinctive and appealing styling.
The J-type was often seen resplendent in distinctive colour schemes and company liveries and was often used for major advertising and promotional campaigns. Exported around the world to over 22 countries, the original van has international recognition, and today many are still in use as ice cream vans and for food retailing and are still used in film and advertising campaigns.
Having secured the rights to the Morris Commercial brand name, the UK-based management team had a vision to revive the iconic and much-loved British brand with a series of all-electric vehicles, leading with the introduction of the new Morris JE. The JE successfully takes the essence of the original, iconic design, and reimagines it as an all-new, sustainable vehicle for the 21st century. With modern styling cues and cutting-edge technology, the company is committed to delivering products with outstanding design at their core and with sustainability firmly at the top of the agenda through its commitment to full electrification. The project, which has been led by a highly experienced team of established automotive designers and engineers, has been a well-kept secret during the development phase, which has now resulted in a fully operational engineering prototype. Headquartered in Worcestershire, the project benefits from an established team of industry experts and consultants from across Europe.
The new vehicle is not a replica of a 70-year-old design, but it takes the DNA and values of the original van and brings it up to date in a fun, funky and contemporary design. Having designed the vehicle from the ground up as a full EV, the company’s ethos is set squarely on delivering products that utilise the best available zero emissions technologies with exceptional engineering integrity and beautiful craftsmanship. Eye-catching and stylish in a way that no modern, light commercial vehicle has ever been, the Morris JE brings retro charm to the EV market, making it a unique proposition. The JE will be hugely appealing to large and small businesses focused on the environment, but also those seeking a distinctive vehicle that will be noticed and provide fantastic promotional opportunities with real-world commercial capabilities.
[source: Morris Commercial]Dr. Qu Li, the CEO and founder of Morris Commercial, says: “I am so pleased to reach this stage after over two years of intense development. It’s been a fantastic journey and I am extremely proud of what the whole Morris Commercial team and its incredible suppliers have achieved. The working engineering prototype has undergone extensive road testing and the end of 2019 is an amazing conclusion to the first phase of the project. We still have a little way to go to bring the project to full production, but we have the team and the product to make this an enormous success. As a business we are committed to environmental sustainability and we are trailblazing a new approach to the production of appealing, fully electric commercial vehicles. We are very excited to unveil the JE to the public this autumn”.
