Morris Commercial is back with an all-new successor to the iconic 1950s J-Type van. Called the Morris JE, it’s a retro-styled, all-electric light commercial vehicle with a claimed range of roughly 200 miles. Production is set to start in 2021 and, when it goes on sale in December of this year, prices will start from around £60,000. According to the company’s CEO and founder, Dr. Qu Li, the Morris Commercial JE is based on all-new, electric modular underpinnings, which were developed with financial backing from several UK-based independent investors. In addition, the platform’s components are all designed, engineered and sourced from inside the UK. • Best electric vans The Morris Commercial JE features a single, rear-mounted electric motor and a 60kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which can be charged from empty to 80 per cent capacity in around half an hour when plugged into a commercially available 50kWh fast charger. 23 The UK based electric vehicle and smart energy company, Indra Renewable Technologies, is one of Morris Commercial’s partners for the JE project. The firm’s founder, Mike Schooling said the JE’s battery pack will also offer the latest “grid ready” technology, allowing owners to “sell electricity back to the national grid, by discharging their van’s battery packs during the evening energy peaks.”

Like the original Morris J-Type, the JE features a pair of wing-mounted headlamps, a short front overhang, steel wheels with chrome hub caps, a split front windscreen and a stylised version of the classic van’s iconic pear-shaped radiator grille. The JE’s load bay is also lined with wood and suede, and boasts a one tonne payload and a 5,500-litre capacity – which are similar figures to the Mercedes Vito and Ford Transit Custom Its body is made from carbon fibre composite materials which, according to the firm’s Product Development Officer for Europe, Rob Verkerk, makes it one of the lightest LCVs on the market. The Britsh firm also says the JE’s chassis can be easily adapted to accommodate a range of future body styles, including a pick-up truck, a minibus or a camper van. 23 Verkerk explained that carbon fibre composites are a cost-effective manufacturing solution for the number of vehicles Morris Commercial plans to produce. The firm is targeting a sales volume of 1,000 units in the van’s first year of production, with production expanding to around 1,500 vehicles during its second year on sale.