E-Nomad, Ariel's Offroad Electric Revolution

Ariel E-Nomad. (Doc. Autocar)

JAKARTA - Small-scale automotive manufacturer from Somerset, England, Ariel has introduced an electric version concept from Nomad 2 which is approaching the production stage.

Known as E-Nomad, high-performance offroad electric cars are claimed to provide the same performance as gasoline-engined models.

Launching Autocar, August 28, Ariel plans to launch it in 2026 and according to CEO Ariel, Simon Saunders is expected to have a price of around 78 thousand pounds (equivalent to Rp1.6 billion) with battery costs being the main factor why the price is quite expensive.

The battery has a capacity of 450V of 41kWh and uses 12 Pegasus V3 modules which are claimed to be capable of setting new standards in energy density. The entire battery unit weighs less than 300 kg, one of the main reasons why the E-Nomad weight is only 896 kg.

ZELV Collaboration Project

The new electric car is the focus of a three-party collaboration project called ZELV (Zero-Emissions Lightweight Vehicle) and the concept will be officially announced on September 4 at Millbrook's technical center, dividedshire, as part of the Low Carbon Vehicle Event.

Saunders believes that small-scale automotive manufacturers should adapt to the future of electricity or risk being abandoned. The E-Nomad aims to show how new technologies can be adapted to other small-scale EV projects.

Built with the help of two UK-based partners, Rockfort Engineering and BAMD Composites, the E-Nomad is supported by and government grants. The car uses the same steel frame space chassis and independent suspensions of all wheels such as Nomad 2, and has a similar rear wheel drive layout.

Power comes from a single motorcycle cooled with BorgWarner liquid which produces 277 hp and 490 Nm torque. Several prototypes have been built and are claimed to have a top speed of 115 mph (185 km/h) and an acceleration of 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds.

In addition, Ariel engineers predict new benefits in off-road use of large and precision EV torque shipments as well as the possibility of practically driving on a single pedal. The E-Nomad is also designed with a new regenerative braking system and ABS.

Ariel believes that with further development, this model can offer a different driving experience from gasoline-engined models.

"We want this electric car to be able to do things that gasoline cars cannot, and vice versa," concluded Saunders.