Category: Caterham EV Seven

Caterham’s first electric car will make its public debut in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The EV Seven showcases a future battery electric Caterham and uses a 51kWh immersion cooled battery pack capable of up to 152kW rapid charging.

Just as importantly, the battery results in a weight increase of less than 70kg compared to the current production Seven it is based upon.

Caterham says the EV Seven to be capable of a 20-15-20 track drive cycle. In other words, it will have the ability to drive on track for 20 minutes, then recharge in 15 minutes with enough energy to drive for a further 20 minutes.

The EV Seven is being developed in partnership with Swindon Powertrain, the engine developers for the Seven JPE from the early 1990s.

“Any future EV model we produce must be true to the DNA of a Caterham: lightweight, fun-to-drive and driver focused,” said Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham.

“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 customers’ specific use cases.

“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.

“We’re going to bring this to market at the right time, when the future generation of battery technology allows it, and that’s why now is the time for us to trial the concept.”

EV Seven Specification

Vehicle	Caterham EV Seven
Motor	Bespoke Swindon HPDE E Axle
Transmission	Single-speed, two-stage reduction with bespoke ratio
Final Drive	Limited slip differential
Battery	51kWh (40kWh usable) – Immersion cooled battery
Charging	Up to 152Kw DC fast charge
Chassis	Large chassis
Dimensions	(L: 3,350mm, W: 1,685mm, H: 1,115mm)
Max Power (bhp / rpm)	240bhp @ 9,000rpm
Max Torque (Nm / rpm)	250Nm @ 0rpm
Weight	<700 kg
Performance (0 – 60 mph)	4.0 seconds (estimated)
Power-To-Weight	~ 340 bhp-per-tonne
Top Speed	130 mph (estimated)
Suspension	Bilstein adjustable (from 420 Cup)
Wheels	13” Apollo Black Alloy (6” front and 8” rear)
Tyres	Avon ZZR
Brakes	Ventilated discs with quad-piston calipers
Steering	Rack and pinion, 1.93 turns lock-to-lock