Seven months after we saw the exterior of the radical new Skye, it’s time to step inside and see the interior of Ian Callum’s £100,000 go-anywhere EV for the first time.
Designed and built by Callum Automotive, the Skye will be available in two distinct specifications, referred to as the dynamic and the capable. The latter will be off-road focused with a ruggedised cabin, while the former – the one whose interior we’re seeing here – is intended as a car used primarily on the public road.
Described as a 2+2, the Callum Skye has two full-size seats in the front and a removable bench in the rear, designed for two children. The seats are upholstered in white, semi-aniline leather from Scottish tannery Bridge of Weir, which also provides leather for several luxury car brands, including Range Rover and McLaren. The company also produced leather seats for Concorde, as well as the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Blending a rugged construction with luxury materials, the EV’s interior also features premium metallic details, a touchscreen display compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and tactile switchgear for controlling key functions like the air conditioning. The company’s signature ‘Vitamin C’ shade of orange features on the steering wheel, glove box release and door pulls, as well as on the dials of the analogue instrument cluster.
With a focus on driver enjoyment, the Skye is powered by a relatively small 42 kWh battery. It is claimed to offer “sportscar performance” and has an expected 0-60 mph time of under four seconds. It will also be light for an EV – for any modern car, in fact – weighing a claimed 1,150 kg, and with an anticipated range of 170 miles. Two electric motors deliver four-wheel-drive and 247 bhp. It was claimed earlier in 2024 that the car can recharge its battery in as little as 10 minutes, but the charging specifications haven’t yet been revealed.
The vehicle, which is the first car to be designed from the ground up by Callum Automotive, measures 4,047 mm long and is 1,900 mm wide. The off-roading ‘capable’ specification will ride higher than the road-biased ‘dynamic’, and it’ll have more suspension travel too.
In pursuit of weight-saving, the prototype Skye features body panels made from flax composite with bio-resin, which Callum says is “being explored as a potential option for production models.”
Intended to be a highly-personalised car, Callum Automotive’s colour, material and finish designer Charlotte Jones said: “We are particularly excited about the personalisation options Skye offers – both inside and out – and are keen to explore these alongside our customers, supporting them to create one-of-a-kind Callum Skye vehicles.”
Ian Callum, founder and director of Callum Automotive, is one of the UK’s top automotive designers. His CV includes the Ford RS200, Escort Cosworth and Puma, the Aston Martin DB7 and Vanquish, and during his time at Jaguar he was responsible for the XK, XJ, F-Type, F-Pace, E-Pace and electric Jaguar I-Pace, among others.
Priced from between £80,000 and £110,000, the order books are open and the Skye is expected to arrive with customers in the summer of 2026.
