A British brand that dates back to 1924 has just revealed a new vehicle that looks like it’s been around since day one. The Morris JE is the most adorable commercial van we’ve ever seen, but there’s something very interesting going on behind that too-cute nose and pastel colors and too-cute nose. Actually, it’s what’s happening directly beneath those pastel colors that makes this in-development runabout different from others.
Every Van Draws On-Road Aggression, This Is The Only Van That Causes Cute Aggression
The Morris Commercial JE is a retro-designed commercial van with styling based around the J-Type made by the company from 1949-1961. The modern one might even be cuter, thanks to more contemporary surfacing and other changes that take advantage of 76 years of improvements in manufacturing.
Morris says the design is about “connecting.” About making people happy every time they see it. “It is built to inspire optimism, spark curiosity, create moments of joy – whether arriving at a village high street, a city café, a sporting event, a festival or a customer’s doorstep,” the company said. Think of it like a modern Mini, New Beetle, or a PT Cruiser, but aimed at customers who need to haul a load of tools, supplies, or other business goods in the back.
It is an electric vehicle, so it won’t putter around like the original flat-head four-cylinder vans. It also won’t smoke out your village square. Morris Commercial didn’t give a power output, but it did say that the van should be able to drive 300 miles and charge from 20% to 80% in as little as 10 minutes with the super-fast charge option. The van’s payload is 2,200 pounds.
A Carbon-Fiber Monocoque Body
Morris has designed a modular platform for the vehicle, so the company can build pickup, camper, and shuttle bus versions. The chassis is aluminum, but here’s where things get a little crazy.
The van body is a bit more high-tech. It’s a monocoque body made from recycled carbon fiber, mounted to the frame. For the trivia buffs out there, McLaren was the first brand to build such a thing, way back in 1981 for Formula 1 racing. McLaren then followed it up with the first production-car use in the McLaren F1. Morris calls this particular application, a commercial vehicle using recycled carbon fiber, a world first.
Carbon Work Van Set To Enter Full Production In 2028
The original Morris Commercial shut its doors in 1975 as part of the bailout of British Leyland that year. It was restarted as a brand in 2017 by Dr. Qu Li, who was a consultant with MG Rover as that carmaker collapsed. A revitalized Morris Commercial first announced the JE in 2019, with plans to start production in 2021. A few things happened along the way, and the van got pushed back.
Now, Morris Commercial plans to start building this adorable vanlet beginning next year. The company recently acquired the composite manufacturing knowledge of the defunct Prodrive Composites, helping it to build that carbon body. It plans to start pilot production in Milton Keynes next year. Full-scale production is set to begin in Wales in 2028.
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