ELM Mobility, a new joint venture from two UK pioneers, is pushing ahead with plans to launch a groundbreaking new last-mile EV from 2028.

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Rally and vehicle technology specialist Prodrive has teamed up with design agency Astheimer in a move to create the first ground-up, fit-for-purpose last-mile delivery platform, which they say will transform safety, versatility and efficiency for fleets around the ground.

A demonstrator has already debuted at Cenex Expo 2024 and the next step will see the project go into production readiness ahead of certification. Pre-series production vehicles will be trialled by customers, with start of UK production planned for 2028. Prices are expected to start from around £25,000 (around €30,200).

According to both firms, current last-mile EVs fall short in terms of reliability, safety, driver comfort and payload volume, or are simply too large and costly for the task in hand.

Their zero-emission Evolv quadricycle demonstrator showcased at Cenex Expo tackles this, with a cubic load capacity rivalling mid-size vans.

Unveiled just 12 months after the project received a share of a £22.7m investment from the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT), via the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), the Evolv demonstrator is a small L7e category quadricycle that the firms say offers the same load capacity and passive safety crash standards as N1 small vans.

Its compact footprint measures just 3,240mm long, 1,450mm wide, 2,150mm high and weighs 850kg with batteries, but it’s able to pack in 4m3 using two load spaces, putting it on a par with some mid-size vans.

The main load area can accommodate a 1.6m tall Euro pallet with a 300kg payload. It’s accessed on the side via secure self-locking sliding doors and has a 300mm load bed height.

The secondary load area, accessible through rear ‘barn doors’, provides additional space for a 1.2m tall Euro pallet and 200kg payload.

Able to be driven with a standard car licence, the demonstrator is equipped with a 20kWh battery to enable a 100-mile (62km) range with a top speed of 50mph (80km/h) but other battery capacities are under consideration for the production models, and will be explored in the next phase of development. These are expected to have a 20-80% AC charge time of less than two hours.

The interior has been designed around the driver ergonomics. The central driver seat offers easier access from either side and provides better visibility of pedestrians and cyclists through the wraparound windscreen; it also streamlines the number of variants for the UK and European markets. The flexible platform will allow for a family of models, adaptable to the needs of each customer.

The demonstrator has a tight 7.8m turning circle and is also designed for high uptime and low maintenance.

Following its unveiling at Cenex Expo, the electric quadricycle is now being used to advance discussions with stakeholders and potential customers in logistics, retailing and food deliveries.

Dr Iain Roche, CEO of Prodrive Advanced Technology, said: “Evolv demonstrates how our collective innovative design and engineering can push the boundaries of what a last mile EV can achieve. With Evolv, a compact footprint can go hand-in-hand with serious capability and efficiency. Evolv offers the best of both worlds, injecting versatility without compromise into a logistics fleet.”