Britain's new bonkers EV: Callum Skye is an £80k electric buggy built in Warwickshire

Release time：2024-05-21 08:01:15 Source：Global Gazetteer news portal

Britain has a new sports car. But it's not like anything else you've seen on the road before.

Callum, a new automotive start-up spearheaded by former Jaguar designer Ian Callum, will debut its first bespoke vehicle, the Skye, at a flashy event in London this week.

It is an electric performance multi-terrain buggy that can be 100 per cent charged in under 10 minutes to offer a range of around 170 miles, and should be capable of hitting 62mph from a standstill in less the four seconds.

But it won't come cheap, with prices starting from around £80,000 to £110,000.

Britain's new EV: Callum, a new automotive start-up spearheaded by former Jaguar designer Ian Callum, has confirmed its Skye buggy is now available to order. But the price tag is steep

The Skye, Callum's first 'own brand vehicle fully developed in-house', will be unveiled to the public at Concours on Savile Row in London on Wednesday 22 May.

Order books have opened to customers who want to put their name down for one of the extreme - but expensive - off-road electric buggies.  

Debuted as a prototype in November, the vehicle shown this week is the production-ready car that has been designed and developed - and shortly produced - at the company's 20,000sq ft facility in Warwickshire.

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The specialist car maker was created in 2019 by Ian Callum, the British automotive designer whose work dates back to the 1980s Ford RS200 and also includes the Aston Martin DB7 and DB9.

In his previous role at Jaguar, he oversaw the penning of the C-X75 hybrid supercar (that eventually didn't go into production) as well as the F-Type and I-Pace EV. 

The brand carrying his name says the Skye is 'engineered to offer an exhilarating and rewarding driving experience both on and off-road' and is primarily aimed at 'discerning adventurers'.

It will be available in a choice of two variants: one tailored more towards off-road driving and the other a sportier on-road performance version.

The former will have a higher ground clearance and knobbly tyres, while the road-bias model will squat closer to the tarmac and use more conventional street rubber. 

The Skye will be available in a choice of two variants: one tailored more towards off-road driving (pictured) and the other a sportier on-road performance version

The off-road focussed model will have a jacked-up ride height and knobbly tyres

The road-bias variant will squat closer to the tarmac and use more conventional street rubber

Power is generated by a compact 42kWh battery to ensure it remains relatively lightweight by EV standards

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There's not confirmed output number, but the company has assured it will be 'exclusive' and built in 'low volume'.

Power is generated by a compact 42kWh battery to ensure it remains relatively lightweight by EV standards.

The battery pack sits in a steel spaceframe chassis with independent suspension with and a lightweight composite body. 

It's said to tip the scale at just 1,150kg - around the same as a petrol Fiat 500 - which will make it one of the lightest EVs on sale and help the relatively small battery pack achieve its estimated 170 miles of driving distance between charges.

In terms of dimensions, at 4,047mm it's the same length as the Ford Fiesta, though at 1,900mm wide has a broader footprint.

David Fairbairn, managing director at Callum, describes Skye as 'bold, beautifully engineered and crafted with refinement and craftsmanship'. 

He added: 'Compact, capable and extremely beautiful, we're confident that this representation of the Skye exterior will turn heads, as we invite those interested in commissioning a Callum Skye to reserve their build slot.'

The buggy has an enclosed two-plus-two interior, accessed by a pair of doors with glass in the upper and lower sections.

Debuted as a prototype in November, the production version will make its first public appearance in London this week. It has been designed and developed - and shortly will be produced - at the company's 20,000sq ft facility in Warwickshire

It's said to tip the scale at just 1,150kg - around the same as a petrol Fiat 500 - which will make it one of the lightest EVs on sale and help the relatively small battery pack achieve its estimated 170 miles of driving distance between charges

In terms of dimensions, at 4,047mm it's the same length as the Ford Fiesta, though at 1,900mm wide has a broader footprint

Inside is a minimalist cockpit.

In fact, it's so stripped back that the rear bench of two seats - which are seat to be 'suitable for children' - can be removed entirely to reduce weight and increase boot capacity.

The boot lid is a hinged tailgate and - with the rear seats taken out - is said to provide enough capacity to 'transport luggage for long weekends away, as well as a variety of sports, lifestyle and outdoor pursuit equipment', the car maker says. 

The cabin features a central display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality and a stacked centre console that includes three touchscreen rotary dials to control some of the settings, such as temperature - a feature similar to the F-Type, which Callum played a pivotal role in designing.

The stripped-back cabin has been teased showing a small central display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality

There's a stacked centre console with three touchscreen rotary dials to control some of the settings, such as temperature

'In order to maximise the room, it's essential to keep the interior forms simple,' explains Ian Callum.

'The interior design intention is incredibly disciplined; we've edited our vision to only include necessary elements, giving the driver and passengers everything they need while avoiding wasted space.'

With prices ranging from £80,000 to £100,000 and not many likely to be made, this certainly isn't a car for everyone. 

However, the Skye isn't the only vehicle Callum could bring to market.

Will we be seeing more of Callum soon? The company has already showcased its eVITA concept vehicle

The e-Vita is the brand's vision for an electric wheelchair accessible vehicle - or eWAV - that's been developed in partnership with Motability Operations Ltd

Last year, Callum teamed up with ultra-fast-charging battery maker Nyobolt to reveal the Nyobolt EV - an electric two-seat successor to the Lotus Elise

While the concept is a performance-orientated EV, its groundbreaking feature is a battery pack that's said to charge to 100% in less than six minutes

Having already brought us the Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged - a heavily reworked version of Callum's Aston Martin Vanquish V12 design - the company has also teased its eVITA concept.

This is the brand's vision for an electric wheelchair accessible vehicle - or eWAV - that's been developed in partnership with Motability Operations Ltd.

And last year it teamed up with ultra-fast-charging battery maker Nyobolt to reveal the Nyobolt EV - an electric two-seat successor to the Lotus Elise that can be fully charged in less than six minutes. 

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