New Morris JE delivery van unveiled

The new Morris JE Electric Van

Published on 13 Nov 2019
▪ Morris Commercial unveils its all-new, all-electric Morris JE van
▪ The stunning 21st century re-imagining of the iconic Morris J-type van heralds a new electric future for the historic British brand
▪ Fully designed and engineered in Britain, the new BEV light commercial vehicle is designed to take a timeless and quintessentially British design classic into a sustainable future
▪ Expected price of around £60,000 when it goes on sale in late 2021

Morris Commercial, the UK-based automotive engineering and manufacturing start-up, today unveiled its stunning new battery electric light commercial vehicle (LCV), the Morris JE. The JE made its debut appearance at The Design Museum in London, hosted by members of the management team alongside suppliers and investors in the project.

With production stated to begin in late 2021, and with a retail price of approximately £60,000, the Morris JE is an all-new approach to a battery electric light commercial vehicle. With a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery powertrain, and featuring a modular chassis and carbon-fibre body construction, the JE is a unique proposition. Its technically advanced engineering and highly distinctive styling take the original, iconic Morris J-type van as its inspiration. There is nothing else quite like the new Morris JE, making it a compelling and welcome new entrant into the LCV market.

Technology and platform
The new JE boasts a state-of-the-art, fully electric, UK-sourced, lithium-ion battery powertrain. The vehicle benefits from a lightweight, modular chassis, making it highly adaptable for future derivatives, such as a pickup, minibus or camper van. The combination of an advanced lightweight chassis and a carbon fibre body makes the Morris JE one of the lightest LCVs in the marketplace. The result is an outstanding power-to-weight efficiency that fully maximises the range of the vehicle, which is expected to be 200 miles.

Design
The JE is not intended to be a replica or a continuation of the original Morris J-type, but a reimagining of the original, iconic design. The original J-type was unapologetically distinctive, with its minimal front overhang, distinctive pear-shaped grille, split front windscreen and swooping roofline. The new JE benefits from many of these core styling attributes in a marriage of retro yet entirely contemporary design for the 21st century. In recent years, attractive van design has been largely neglected in favour of utility and functionality, but now the Morris JE reintroduces exciting design without compromising practicality and functionality.

The vehicle’s stunning and distinctive aesthetics will provide a perfect and eye-catching mobile marketing solution for many customers. The JE will be attractive to small boutique businesses that crave individuality, as well as larger corporate fleets. There are numerous luxury and lifestyle brands and businesses that could make significant use of a vehicle such as the Morris JE, where its clear differentiation from other LCVs can be exploited. Obvious examples would include the hospitality industry, the sport and leisure industry, high end manufacturing businesses, the events industry and green logistics.

Functionality
The JE is an LCV that sits within the 2.5 tonne segment, the lightest sector in the commercial vehicle market. However, it boasts a 1 tonne (1000 kg) payload and 5.5 m³ carrying capacity, which is more typical of vehicles in the larger 3.5 tonne sector. It will accommodate two standard Euro pallets on the rear loading space. Access is provided via full width rear doors and a sliding side door on the nearside of the vehicle. The lightweight construction means that its range is optimised to around 200 miles, making the van an exceptionally practical proposition as an urban commercial vehicle.