Prodrive is best known to most of us for high-performance road cars like the P1, P25 and 22B Imprezas, or its long list of race and rally wins. But the UK-based company has many strings to its (probably carbon fiber) bow, as this cute Evolv urban delivery van reminds us. The Evolv is a joint project between Prodrive Advanced Technology and Astheimer Design who have formed a new company, ELM Mobility, with the aim of putting the 21st-century tuk-tuk into production in 2028. Classified in Europe as an L7e quadricycle, the 850 kg Evolv measures 3.24 m long and only 1.54 m wide, but 60 percent of the van’s volume is given over to carrying cargo.
There’s space for a 1.6 m Euro pallet weighing 300 kg in the primary cargo area, with room for
a 1.2 m, 200 kg pallet in the secondary space. But that’s
only one possible configuration, and the final van will be available in many
different forms to suit the needs of the buyer. ELM has even come up with an
optional pallet truck that can be stored on the van. Quadricycles like
Citroen’s Ami are exempt from certain safety standards cars have to meet, but
Prodrive says it went the extra mile and engineered the Evolv and its skateboard
chassis to comply with N1 small van crash and pedestrian impact regulations.
The wraparound windscreen and single,
centrally-mounted driver’s seat provide the best possible visibility for town
driving, and also mean the company doesn’t have to tool-up for both left- and
right-hand production (the Ami is only available in LHD). And Astheimer’s
designers came up with a simple exterior and tough, modular panels to help it
survive a life spent on congested city streets.
A 20 kWh battery, 161 km range
and 80 km/h top speed would be terrible stats for a modern passenger
EV, but ELM says they should be ample for a last-mile delivery vehicle,
although other battery sizes are under consideration for future models.
Charging from 20-80 percent takes less than two hours, which isn’t fast but ELM
says most users will only need to do it overnight, when speed isn’t an issue.
The Evolv is slated to cost from £ 25,000 (US$ 33,000) when sales begin in 2028,
though pre-series production models will be tested by customers before the
final vans will be ready for production.
