Electric Caterham Seven concept breaks cover
Caterham’s first electric car will make its public debut in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The EV Seven showcases a future battery electric Caterham and uses a 51kWh immersion cooled battery pack capable of up to 152kW rapid charging.
Just as importantly, the battery results in a weight increase of less than 70kg compared to the current production Seven it is based upon.
Caterham says the EV Seven to be capable of a 20-15-20 track drive cycle. In other words, it will have the ability to drive on track for 20 minutes, then recharge in 15 minutes with enough energy to drive for a further 20 minutes.
The EV Seven is being developed in partnership with Swindon Powertrain, the engine developers for the Seven JPE from the early 1990s.
“Any future EV model we produce must be true to the DNA of a Caterham: lightweight, fun-to-drive and driver focused,” said Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham.
“We do not have plans to put EV Seven into production at this stage – it’s a test bed to see how well an EV powertrain works for our customers’ specific use cases.
“We’re doing this project with our eyes wide open so that we can learn how to deliver the specific Caterham vehicle attributes necessary for a Seven: lightweight, simple and fun to drive.
“We’re going to bring this to market at the right time, when the future generation of battery technology allows it, and that’s why now is the time for us to trial the concept.”
EV Seven Specification
| Vehicle | Caterham EV Seven |
| Motor | Bespoke Swindon HPDE E Axle |
| Transmission | Single-speed, two-stage reduction with bespoke ratio |
| Final Drive | Limited slip differential |
| Battery | 51kWh (40kWh usable) – Immersion cooled battery |
| Charging | Up to 152Kw DC fast charge |
| Chassis | Large chassis |
| Dimensions | (L: 3,350mm, W: 1,685mm, H: 1,115mm) |
| Max Power (bhp / rpm) | 240bhp @ 9,000rpm |
| Max Torque (Nm / rpm) | 250Nm @ 0rpm |
| Weight | <700 kg |
| Performance (0 – 60 mph) | 4.0 seconds (estimated) |
| Power-To-Weight | ~ 340 bhp-per-tonne |
| Top Speed | 130 mph (estimated) |
| Suspension | Bilstein adjustable (from 420 Cup) |
| Wheels | 13” Apollo Black Alloy (6” front and 8” rear) |
| Tyres | Avon ZZR |
| Brakes | Ventilated discs with quad-piston calipers |
| Steering | Rack and pinion, 1.93 turns lock-to-lock |