Seven 360

Make
Caterham
Segment
Compact

Back in 2016 at the Geneva Motor Show, Morgan revealed an all-electric version of its old school 3 Wheeler, appropriately called the EV3. And now the EV3 is dead before production could even get underway, according to Autocar. The reason does not appear to have anything to do with lack of demand or even a willingness to build it on Morgan's part, but rather a supplier issue.

Morgan managing director Steve Morris told the UK publication that the supplier, Frazer-Nash Energy Systems, which is also based in the UK, "is no longer able to fulfill the project within the terms of the contract." The supplier claims the deal fell through "for a number of contractual reasons" despite the fact that early EV3 prototypes it had built were "very promising."

However, Morgan's Morris is not completely giving up on the EV3 just yet, but what's for certain is that it won't be going on sale when originally planned. The goal was to sell a limited production run of 19 first-run examples beginning earlier this year. General sales would have begun at a later date. What Morgan has learned from this ordeal – and this is where it's possible the EV3 could live on – is that it needs to learn to build EV powertrains in-house.

"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."

While the EV3's discontinuation (for now) is a disappointment, Morgan still remains very much committed to future EVs. Sales of the Harley-Davidson-engined 3 Wheeler have been taking place since 2012. In the US, the 3 Wheeler is homologated as a motorcycle. It has a 0 to 60 mph time of around 4.5 seconds.

The EV3 reportedly would have had a 0 to 60 sprint time in less than 9 seconds, a top speed in excess of 90 mph, and a 150-mile range thanks to a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Hopefully, Morgan will somehow find a way to make the EV3 happen.