- Prodrive Advanced Technology has teamed up with Astheimer Design to create the Evolv, an electric delivery van for urban duties.
- Its dual cargo compartments can handle a pair of Euro pallets weighing 1,100 lbs, and a 20 kWh battery gives a 100-mile range.
- A new company, ELM Mobility, has been formed to put the Evolv into production in 2028.
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.
Related: Take An In-Depth Look At Prodrive’s Rally-Inspired P25
Classified in Europe as an L7e quadricycle, the 1,874-lb (850 kg) Evolv measures 127.6 inches (3.24 m) long and only 60.6 inches (1.54 m) wide, but 60 percent of the van’s volume is given over to carrying cargo.
There’s space for a 63-inch tall (1.6 m) Euro pallet weighing 661 lbs (300 kg) in the primary cargo area, with room for a 47-inch (1.2 m), 441 lbs (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, 100-mile (161 km) range and 50 mph (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 ($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.
