Move over McLaren F1: the Watt eCV1 has a central driving position!

If you’re a regular visitor to these pages you’ll remember Watt; the Cornish firm behind the scalable EV platform designed to help low-volume carmakers go electric. It also built the fully electric, 160bhp Coupe sports car to show just what it was capable of.

Now though, Watt is expanding its horizons with another platform for light commercial vehicles, from chassis cabs to panel vans. Called the eCV1, it’s based on the firm’s PACES (Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard) tech, and Watt claims production volumes of less than 5,000 units a year allow it make various improvements over mass market stuff.

Chief among which is the McLaren F1-esque central driving position, which has been pictured for the first time (see above) ahead of the van's debut at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham next week.

Although it's more for safety than speed - allows the driver to safely pull up and hop out regardless of which side the kerb is on, you see - it's a stupendously cool feature. Heck, we'd be reviewing commercial vehicles every week if more of them shared traits with Gordon Murray's finest work.

The central position has allowed the A-pillars to be brought inboard, thus reducing the frontal area, reducing drag, and boosting efficiency; quite important with electricity prices skyrocketing at the moment.

Watt also says that the large glasshouse boosts visibility (and let’s face it, who wants to spend all day cooped up in a dark cab?), while the aluminium, laser-cut platform helps get the weight down as low as 1,750kg.

That means ‘class leading payload and range in the 3.5t and 4.25t segments’, Watt suggests.

One-, two- and three-seat configurations are available, and front-, rear- and all-wheel drive layouts are all possible. Plus there’s the option of a full standing height headroom, ‘walk through cabin’ ideal for urban delivery drivers.

“I’m delighted to reveal the Watt eCV1,” said Neil Yates, founder and CEO of the company. “Our unique approach to addressing the challenges facing the industry enables the transition to mission-specific, yet cost-effective electric light commercial vehicles.

“The industry is rapidly moving to a zero-emission future, working with WEVC and our eCV1 platform will allow customers to benefit from electrified commercial vehicles tailored to exactly meet their needs.”

He added that “full details of the further unique features” will be revealed in the coming months, with production set to take place at the firm’s facilities in Cornwall and the Midlands.

Yep, St Columb Major might be about to become the next Silicon Valley…