British sports carmaker Caterham has made progress on its all-electric Seven series announced two years ago. The company just presented what it calls a technology development showcasing a future electric Caterham Seven that delivers the first performance data.
The EV Seven uses a 179 kW E-axle from Swindon Powertrain and a battery pack with immersion cooling. The latter has a capacity of 51 kWh (40 kWh usable) and can be charged quickly with up to 152 kW. As for other data, Caterham delivered on its promise when announcing the roadster in May 2021 – they have kept it light. According to Caterham, the EV concept weighs only about 70 kilograms more than its current combustion counterpart in the Seven series. The latter has always adhered to the same basic principle: A narrow chassis with two seats set far back and four free-standing wheels. However, stricter regulations may threaten the model’s continued existence.
In any case, to accommodate the extra weight from the battery, Caterham wanted to recalibrate the suspension geometry and other aspects of the chassis and go without associated systems standard on mainstream EVs, such as regenerative braking, to save further weight. It is unclear whether they have fully achieved this in the current concept, which is only a technology demonstrator.
The EV Seven will only be produced “when the future generation of battery technology allows it,” said Caterham CEO Bob Laishley. “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 customer’s specific use cases,” he added. “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.”
Those ready to set eyes on the concept car should attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England, this July. As announced previously, the show car’s debut coincides with Caterham’s 50-year jubilee.
Caterham is also developing another all-electric sports car concept to be unveiled later this year.
caterhamcars.com (PI), caterhamcars.com (EV Seven)
Keyword: Caterham EV Seven: Lightweight electric sports car concept