It’s a well-known scientific fact that the Morgan 3 Wheeler->ke3959 is the greatest car in the world. By modern standards, this tiny roadster->ke1418 with a missing wheel is archaic. With an 82 horsepower motorcycle engine, it’s not particularly fast. Its chassis is constructed using techniques from the 1930s. It doesn’t have an infotainment system or even an AM radio. Those might sound like negatives, but brought together they make for one of the most fun and engaging cars on sale today.

Now Morgan->ke60 has a new 3 Wheeler called the EV3, that ditches the V-twin engine and replaces it with an electric motor and battery pack in the rear. Morgan says the electric drivetrain is good for 75 kW, the equivalent of 100 horsepower, and has range of about 150 miles. At a featherweight 992 pounds, it’s also a good bit lighter than the gas-powered 3 Wheeler, which is about 160 pounds heavier.

The lack of a V-twin hanging off the front helps simplify styling, and the polished-aluminum body and disc front wheels make it look like a shrunken version of something you might see streaking across the Bonneville Salt Flats. Overall, the subtle, yet effective changes give a sort of 1950s-retro-futurist feel.

Only a concept->ke169 for now, the EV3 will be shown later this month at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed.->ke3879 It’s currently in development and a production version is planned for the end of 2016. Like the regular 3 Wheeler, Morgan says production EV3s will be bespoke-built to order.

Continue reading for the full story.

Why it matters

You have to love the idea of this car. The 3 Wheeler’s chassis construction has more in common with a horse carriage than it does a modern car, and its aluminum body is pounded out by hand and then attached to an ash hardwood (wood!) frame. Add in the juxtaposition of a modern, electric drivetrain, and you’re left with a unique and exciting three-wheeled car. We’ll be learning more about it soon.

2011 Morgan Three Wheeler

Read our full review here.