Caterham looks to release purely electric roadster
British specialist brand Caterham is looking to secure its future and is working on an all-electric Seven set for launch in the coming years. A debut is likely to coincide with the company’s 50-year jubilee in 2023, UK media report.
Autocar suggests calling the model EV Seven, citing Caterham CEO Graham Macdonald, who said he would ensure any EV version “rides and handles like a Caterham”. To that end, Caterham would develop the e-sportscar with a focus on keeping weight down to preserve the model’s trademark agility and pace, writes Autocar.
The Caterham Seven is a particularly lightweight sports car that has adhered to the same basic principle for many years: A narrow chassis with two seats set far back and four free-standing wheels. Stricter regulations are now reportedly threatening the model’s continued existence.
To accommodate for the extra weight from the battery, Caterham wants to recalibrate the suspension geometry and other aspects of the chassis apparently and go without associated systems that are common on mainstream EVs, such as regenerative braking, to save further weight.
A decision has yet to be made on whether the EV Seven will be “bigger, heavier and nicer to sit in” than the current variants, but Macdonald told Autocar that the latter was more likely.
He added that acceleration would be roughly par with today’s versions, so at around 0-60mph in just 2.79 seconds.
Apparently, there is already the prototype of an electric Seven.
However, for the EV Seven to go into production, Caterham is looking to sign a partnership deal with suppliers for the e-drive and batteries. The CEO did not reveal any names, but Autocar reports the company was looking to secure “a complete, ready-made architecture”.
Caterham has been acquired the retail group VT Holdings that aims to distribute Caterham cars in Japan. CEO Kazuho Takahashi comes from high-profile motorsport, and Caterham CEO Macdonald considers him committed to the brand’s survival. VT is said to provide funding for the all-electric Seven.
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