Morris JE Electric Retro Van Gets Enough Money to Begin Production
The plan is for the Morris JE to start deliveries sometime early next year.
Morris Commercial is a small British startup trying to revive the iconic 1950s Morris J-Type van as an electric, retro-styled cargo van, dubbed the Morris JE. Morris Commercial first announced the electric JE project in 2019 and, now that it's secured more money, it should be on track to reach customers in 2024.
The Morris JE is based on an aluminum skateboard chassis and features a recycled carbon fiber body. Morris Commercial doesn't offer up much in the way of battery or motor specs but it does say that it can charge from 20-80% in 30 minutes on a 50-kW charger. It also has a reported payload capacity of 2,204 pounds and 233 cubic feet of cargo space. It can also tow more than 2,000 pounds.
Morris Commercial intends to sell the JE as both a van and a pickup truck, both of which will sport similar retro styling. Though, it's unclear if both body styles will be available when the JE launches in 2024. According to Morris Commercial CEO Qu Li, the small British startup should now be able to "accelerate product development and take Morris JE to market."
It will be interesting to see if the Morris JE can ever make it to market. Retro electric vans are becoming popular, especially after the launch of the VW ID.Buzz, so it's easy to see why customers would want the Morris JE. It's an adorably designed retro cargo van with a carbon fiber body and impressive usability, so it makes a lot of sense for both commercial and consumer customers alike. There are clearly going to be some overpriced food trucks based on these, count on that. Morris claims to have thousands of interested customers worldwide and that deliveries should begin early next year.
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