Ariel E-Nomad revealed: 281bhp electric off-roader concept weighs just 896kg

Though it’s but a concept for now, “it does show production intent for the vehicle and hints at just a small part of Ariel’s future,” boss Simon Saunders said. Welcome then, to a small part of Ariel’s future: a sub-tonne electric firework.

Of course Ariel doesn’t call it a sub-tonne electric firework, but the ‘E-Nomad Concept’. In surprising news, it’s basically an electrified version of the spectacular combustion-engined Nomad.

Spun off the new Nomad 2’s skeleton, the headline figures are: 0-60mph in 3.4s, 281bhp, 361lb ft of torque, a 150-mile range, and a kerbweight of just 896kg, thanks in part to “natural fibre bio-composite bodywork”. Read: flax fibres.

These panels are then reinforced by more bio-composite nature fibre ‘ribs’, said to offer a 73 per cent reduction in CO2 in its manufacture compared to carbon fibre. Even the tooling’s more planet-friendly: Ariel claims a 50 per cent reduction in CO2 versus conventional moulding methods.

Ahem, naturally these panels are recyclable, and designed to be as aero-efficient as possible, because of course the E-Nomad will need to sail through the air with ease. To that end, under the new skin sits a 41kWh, 450-volt battery weighing 300kg, developed by a company called Rockfort Engineering.

This unit is mounted behind the driver and passenger bulkhead, comprised of 12 Pegasus V3 modules, a 5kW internal high-voltage heater and plenty of witchcraft. Indeed, it can go from 20 to 80 per cent charge in just 25 minutes (on a similarly witchcraft-enabled fast charger).

That battery sends those 281 electric horsepowers to a single rear motor, bundled in together with a gearbox and inverter; a package that weighs just 92kg. There’s a limited slip diff, ABS, some modes, and a parking lock thrown in too.

“Once it has been through our usual, gruelling testing regime we could opt to add E-Nomad alongside its ICE Nomad 2 sibling,” Saunders added, “so we’ll take great interest in customer feedback on the concept car.” Interested in a sub-tonne electric firework?