Ever wonder if Caterham will go electric? Well, wonder no more. Last month, the British lightweight, two-seater sports car maker revealed the EV Seven. EV Seven, as the name hints, is the electric version of the marque’s Caterham Seven.
The electric Caterham Seven is a technology development concept showcasing a future battery electric Caterham and it is being developed in partnership with Swindon Powertrain, the company behind the electrification of classics like the MINI.
The Electric Seven sounds more like an electric conversion because the lightweight concept uses existing Seven architecture, marrying it with cutting-edge battery electric technology.
The electrification bumps up the weight by less than 70 kilograms (154 lbs) and uses a 51 kWh immersion-cooled battery pack that supports up to 152 kW rapid charging. The battery is housed in the engine bay and transmission tunnel.
The concept is powered by a bespoke version of Swindon Powertrain’s E Azle based on the HPDE family. This drivetrain puts out a healthy 240 bhp at 9,000 RPM and an instant peak torque of 250 Nm (184 lb-ft).
Caterham estimates that the Electric Seven will wipe the 0-60 mph (97 km/h) sprint in around 4 seconds and an estimated top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h).
In order to stay true to Caterham’s DNA, the powertrain has been engineered to closely match the performance characteristics of the current production Seven to achieve similar driveability.
That said, the EV Seven also benefits from a limited-slip differential, adjustable Bilstein dampers from the Seven 420 Cup, regenerative braking, quad-piston brake calipers, and rolls on a set of 13” Apollo Black Alloy.
There’s no plan for the production of EV Seven, though. It will remain a test bed for now. The Caterham Seven Electric Vehicle Concept will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK this July.
The marque is also developing another fully electric sports car concept that it will reveal later this year. Meanwhile, you may learn more about the EV Seven HERE.
Images: Caterham.
