Not many automobile manufacturers create such a fine line in a niche market, and while one Caterham might look like another as it breezes past, this Caterham EV Seven concept is pure electric and will surely and eventually futureproof a unique and traditional brand.
While the Caterham Seven isn’t a sports car that might sit well with becoming all-electric and yet still managing to fight in both corners of track and your regular country road, it does seem as if Caterham has, sort of, managed to get it right. Caterham collaborated with Swindon Powertrain Ltd to get the best of both worlds. As Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham, adds, we ‘must be true to the DNA of a Caterham’, meaning that the joys of the track and the joys of the road must not be compromised; overall, the guiding light will be that the Caterham EV Seven must be fun, simple and lightweight.
Inside, the EV Seven is expected to produce 0-62mph of just under 4 seconds and features a 40kWh battery which gives 240bhp along with 250Nm of torque. The EV Seven will feature adjustable Bilstein dampers from the Seven 420 Cup with regenerative braking and quad-piston brake calipers.
One of the unique (or compromise if you see fit) aspects of the pressure that the track-day drive will place the powertrain under is that it will be able to drive for 20 minutes and then be rechargeable in just 15 minutes, allowing for a quick coffee, then off to drive again for another 20 minutes – a 20-15-20 drive cycle. The challenge here for the Caterham EV Seven is that the huge energy consumption required for driving on track is very different to being able to drive on a road – and road driving is something that we are getting rather good at. This car has to be capable of doing both.
It seems a little strange that the combustible engine can be heavier that an electric powertrain, and while the Caterham EV Seven is required to be as light as is possible, with careful tweaks it only produces an extra 70kg per vehicle – not unlike having an extra passenger on board.
But there is a bit of not so good news as such, as Caterham has said that they are not planning on putting the Caterham EV Seven concept into production at this stage. On a brighter note, the EV Seven will be showcased at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this July. But it’s not the end of the Caterham for greener fields, as the company is planning on producing a fully electric Caterham for use later in the year.
Images: caterhamcars.com
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