The Ariel E-Nomad Is a Lightweight Electric Off-Roader

Electric vehicles tend to be on the heavy side, but the Ariel E-Nomad is not your typical EV. Aside from doing away with numerous body parts—including the doors—this conceptual go-anywhere vehicle only has two seats. It's based on the recently launched Nomad 2 but without the Focus ST's powertrain. Instead of a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder gas engine, it uses a single electric motor.

Driving the rear wheels, the e-motor produces a healthy 281 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque in an off-roader that weighs under 2,000 pounds. Yes, this little guy tips the scales at just 1,975 lbs. With a healthy amount of power having to move such a lightweight vehicle, it's no wonder the Ariel E-Nomad does 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Coincidentally, it matches the acceleration of its combustion-engined sibling.

To keep weight in check, Ariel decided to go with a relatively small battery. The pack has a 41.0-kilowatt-hour capacity good for 150 miles between charges. However, range anxiety shouldn't be an issue since the E-Nomad is not built for the daily commute. It's a weekend vehicle for having fun while going (way) off the beaten path. With loads of instant torque, it must be a hoot to drive on tough terrain.

The battery assembly weighs less than 661 pounds, so nearly a third of the vehicle’s weight. For better weight distribution, it's mounted behind the bulkhead. It takes less than 25 minutes to replenish the battery from 20% to 80% by using a fast charger at home. It feeds energy to a drive unit that weighs just 203 pounds. That's how much the electric motor, single-speed transmission, and inverter weigh together. A limited-slip differential is part of the setup as well.

To achieve that remarkably low curb weight, the UK-based niche company came up with a bodywork made from bio-composite natural fibers. It has allowed Ariel to cut weight by 9% compared to a carbon fiber body while CO2 emissions generated during manufacturing were reduced by 73%.

Flax fibers were used, making the body recyclable at the end of the vehicle’s life cycle. This lightweight body is also more aerodynamic than a regular Nomad's as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software helped the engineers lower the drag coefficient by 30%.

Ariel doesn't intend to sell the E-Nomad but will "monitor consumer reaction to inform its future plans." Meanwhile, it'll test prototypes and continue to improve the product. Here's hoping it will get the green light sooner rather than later.

The E-Nomad reminds us of another low-volume British automaker pursuing the "light is right” ethos in the EV realm. No, not Lotus, but Caterham with its hugely promising Project V. The electric sports coupe had 268 hp and rear-wheel drive in a concept that weighed just 2,623 lbs. The plan is to launch it either late next year or early 2026.

Having these two in the garage as weekend toys sounds just about perfect.