British automaker Caterham Cars is well known for its Caterham Seven sports car, which is closely based on the classic Lotus Seven. Now, however – in a not-so-traditional twist – the company has announced its plan to make an experimental electric version of the car.
Officially called the Caterham EV Seven, the concept vehicle is being created in partnership with UK electric mobility company Swindon Powertrain.
Plans call for it to be unveiled this July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will compete in the Goodwood Hill Climb. Two variations of the vehicle, built specifically for track testing, will make appearances at subsequent events.
The main version of the sub-700-kg (1,543-lb) EV Seven will feature a custom Swindon HPDE E Axle electric motor, powered by a 52-kWh immersion-cooled lithium battery pack. No figures have been provided on charging time or range.
As far as performance specs go, Caterham is aiming at a maximum power of 240 bhp at 9,000 rpm, a maximum torque of 250 Nm at 0 rpm, a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h) and a 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time of 4 seconds. The car should have a power-to-weight ratio of 340 bhp-per-tonne.
The company has stated that although it has no plans to put the EV Seven into production for now, a descendant of the vehicle should be commercially available in the future.
"EV Seven is a test-bed to see how well an EV powertrain works for our customers’ specific use cases," Caterham said. "We’re doing this with our eyes wide open so that we learn how to deliver the specific attributes necessary for a Caterham Seven; lightweight, simple and fun to drive. We’ll bring this to market at the right time, when the future generation of battery technology allows it."
Prospective buyers can register for updates via the company website.
Source: Caterham
