The Callum Skye comes with a 273km range and a sub-four second 0-100km/h time.
UK-based design firm Callum, named after its founder and famed car designer Ian Callum, has unveiled a new high-performance off-road EV called the Callum Skye.
Callum claims the Skye is undergoing “rigorous testing in the UK and Europe” ahead of further details being released in spring 2024. The Skye is the first car to be designed and engineered entirely within the Callum design firm. Since its inception in 2019, Callum has revealed the Callum Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged (a reimagination of the Aston Martin Vanquish) and the shooting brake variant, the Callum Vanquish VC25.
The Skye is a completely different concept, however. David Fairbairn, says the Skye “addresses a void in the market” and while a fully-electric buggy certainly is a niche idea, we’ve seen Volkswagen toy with the idea with the ID. Buggy concept in 2019 and we’d almost forgotten about the Meyers Manx EV buggy unveiled in 2022.
In terms of design, the Skye wouldn’t look out of place roving around the moon. While the car is being developed for on-road use, its appetite for the rough stuff is clear. There’s almost no overhang front or rear, chunky all-terrain tyres with plenty of space on the wheel wells for articulation and a glass section in the lower part of the doors – all of which will aid the Skye’s off-road ability.
It might have a sleek, sloping roofline, but it’s a 2+2 layout inside with a “comfortable, refined cabin” according to Callum. It’s just a tiny bit smaller than the VW ID. Buggy, measuring 4047mm in length and 1900mm in width.
The 42kWh battery might not sound like much but Callum is targeting a weight of just 1150kg for the Skye, not to mention 50/50 weight distribution across both axles.
Range is anticipated at 273km and while there’s no information on electric motor capacity, the Skye is four-wheel drive so a motor on each axle is expected, helping to power the car to 100km/h in under four seconds. Callum also claims a 0-100 per cent will take under ten minutes.
There’s no word on pricing or a release for the Skye just yet, Callum is still working on “specifications and curated variants” for its wild off-roader.