Prodrive reveals radical £25,000 electric van for 2028

The Evolv also has a wraparound windscreen for maximum visibility of cyclists and pedestrians, fared-in headlights to reduce the risk of accident damage and “highly robust” modular body panels that can be replaced quickly and cheaply.

Notably, the Evolv is claimed to have a turning circle of just 7.8 metres – only 20cm more than the 7.6-metre turning circle of a London taxi.

With a 20kWh battery, it is claimed to be capable of 100 miles between charges and have a targeted 20-80% charge time of two hours.

Other batteries are under consideration for future production variants, but the Evolv’s urban billing means it’s unlikely to ever target a range much in excess of that.

A crucial element of the Evolv’s platform is its modularity: the entire architecture behind the cabin – including the wheelbase – is adaptable, meaning various different body types can be fitted for use in different sectors. For example, pizza delivery services only need a small heated cargo box but logistics firms need to move 1.6-metre Euro pallets and supermarkets need a midsized refrigerator unit. 

There are no immediate plans for a dedicated passenger derivative, but talks are under way with a potential US-based investor looking for a fleet of compact shuttles to move people around large properties, and Elm bosses suggest there’s also a potential market for a Twizy-like two-seater with a tandem layout for use at resorts and hotels.

Roche said Elm will “learn from other manufacturers by not spreading ourselves too thin”. Asked how he can be confident in Elm’s viability in light of the failures of commercial EV start-ups Arrival and Volta, Roche cited the “lower barrier to entry” (and thus higher volume potential) of an L7-class van and said the company has already been building “a really deep relationship” with customers. “We know there’s a very big unmet need there,” he added.

He said there are some 29 million vans in the EU with an average age of 11.9 years. “There is an old fleet that needs to be replaced with something fit for purpose,” he added. “And frankly, at the moment there isn’t a thing that solves that need.

“We’re confident to back ourselves, but we’re certainly not sat here thinking it’s going to be an easy journey. We’ve thought long and hard about manufacturing strategy and all those things to make sure we learn from what others have done differently.”