- An electric van iteration of the 1950s Morris J-Type van, made by Morris Commercial, is set to be built in Wales, the Welsh Government has confirmed.
- The new ‘Morris JE’ EV will help to establish Wales’ first EV manufacturing facility, and be the first full-sized EV to be built in the country – the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil built the Sinclair C5 electric tricycle back in the 1980s.
- Despite its retro looks, the Morris JE is set to be properly competitive with modern van rivals thanks to strong cargo-carrying capabilities and a battery range of 250 miles.
New Morris electric van to be built in Wales
The Morris JE is set to launch in late 2026. Despite its classic design, it remains thoroughly modern underneath, with a carbon monocoque construction keeping weight down, whilst still offering a 1,000kg payload capacity and a battery range of around 250 miles. This will allow it to compete with more modern-looking electric vans like the Ford E-Transit and Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, whilst particularly appealing to businesses who want to advertise their companies with a little bit more flair than other electric vans on the market. Pricing is expected to start at around the £60,000 mark.
This new model will be built at a brand new production facility at the Bro Tathan business park in South Wales. This will become the first EV manufacturing facility in Wales, and help create around 150 high-skill jobs. Wales’ local car manufacturing industry has been small so far, but with Aston Martin now producing its DBX SUV in the country since 2019, and now Morris Commercial set to produce its new electric van here, these are promising steps in the right direction.
Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, commented:
“With our innovative landscape and support for low carbon concepts, Wales is a natural home for the Morris JE. This exciting project will benefit from the robust automotive sector and supply chain cluster we are developing here in Wales. Well-paid jobs will also be created for skilled workers as the company delivers this historic retro van into the electric vehicle era.”
CEO of Morris Commercial, Dr Qu Li, added:
“We are excited to have our Morris JE volume production facility in Bro Tathan soon. This will enable us to start to deliver vehicles to long waited customers. We thank the Welsh Government for its support.”
