Ariel, of all brands, has now made its first move towards electric mobility.
The firm has unveiled a new E-Nomad concept, an all-electric version of its go-anywhere vehicle. And it has the power to thrill - fed by a 41kWh battery, the Ariel E-Nomad can put out a total of 281bhp, which is enough to see its 896kg body sprinting to 100km/h from a standstill in 3.4 seconds.
That's mighty close to the 3.1 second century sprint time of the 618bhp Tesla Model 3 Performance.
This power is put to the road via a limited slip differential, and Airel states that the 300kg high-power battery unit also gets its own front-mounted, split-circuit radiator to provide the necessary cooling, while a 5kW internal high-voltage heater can also pre-warm it in cold conditions.
All this is wrapped around a bodywork that is made of natural flax fibres. This material is said to not only be carbon capturing but is also recyclable while offering high tensile strength. These panels are backed by reinforcing ribs made from bio-composite natural fibre. Ariel states that the bodywork reduces drag by up to 30% over the petrol-powered Nomad, while offering similar levels of downforce and balance. Much of this drag reduction is derived from the roof panel, which also houses a full-size spare wheel.
Ariel states that the E-Nomad concept will remain just that - a concept - for now, although it does state that consumer reaction to this concept will inform its plans. We have our fingers crossed.
