British maker of niche but extremely fun machines, Ariel Motor Company, has just announced that it will build an electric version of its popular Nomad off-road vehicle, in an effort to gauge consumer reaction to a full-production version.
Not one to conform, Ariel has dabbled in motorcycles and e-bikes with its fantastically powerful and girder-forked Ace and Dash models. Although the badge was probably immortalised when Jeremy Clarkson famously had his face reshaped by the extreme, open-topped Atom in an episode of Top equipment.
The Nomad builds on the Atom’s banzai concept, but adds a roll cage, fat off-road tires and enough suspension to soak up bumps, jolts and big jumps.
Ariel’s recent decision to focus on electrification adds a whole new dimension to its off-road offering, delivering the same acceleration as its internal combustion sibling and the same muddy thrills, but without the emissions or, more importantly, the noise.
According to the company, the E-Nomad will reach 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds and deliver an instant torque of 490 Nm. According to the makers, this gives the rear-wheel drive car exceptional performance on the road, while remaining “stable and controllable” on challenging terrain.
But the Ariel experience has typically been about a stripped-down, no-nonsense drive, with weight kept to a minimum to maximise performance. That same ethos has been carried through to the E-Nomad, with the team managing to keep the weight under 900kg (it tips the scales at 896kg).
This is partly because the E-Nomad uses twelve Pegasus V3 battery modules with a total capacity of 41 kW, meaning the battery weighs just 300 kg.
Despite this, the car still offers a predicted range of around 240 kilometres on all-electric power, while delivering 210 kW (281 hp) to the rear wheels.
For longer trips, the E-Nomad can fast-charge with DC power in 25 minutes, giving the battery a 20-80 percent charge. Regenerative braking also ensures that ample power is fed back into the system, allowing riders to navigate difficult terrain effectively with a single pedal.
Silent but violent
Ariel CEO Simon Saunders told Autocar that the E-Nomad would cost around £10,000 more than the combustion engine version when it goes on sale, putting the car at around £78,000 / $102,000 / AU$152,000.
While the company has made it clear that customers will have to wait a little longer for it, it looks like an incredibly finished package for a concept car.
For example, Ariel carefully selected natural flax fibres for the bodywork to reduce the vehicle’s overall carbon footprint and match the ‘green’ credentials of the electric powertrain.
Given that Ariel only sells seriously fun vehicles, the E-Nomad is likely to be as much of a stunner as the rest of its lineup. But it probably makes more sense to move to electrified powertrains for this model than anything else.
The Nomad was originally designed for off-grid travel, but in many parts of the world this is becoming increasingly difficult due to strict emissions and noise regulations.
Silently tearing through the dunes or exploring green trails is a socially acceptable activity that is already being exploited by motorcyclists. Motorcycle manufacturers such as KTM, Sur-Ron and Stark produce machines that can effortlessly compete with petrol bikes on the trails, without attracting all the attention.
