The Caterham Seven has always been all about lightness and driving pleasure so the thought of an EV conversion sounds challenging. Thankfully, Caterham doesn’t plan on compromising for its transition to the electric era, as proven by the specs of its latest concept. The Caterham EV Seven was revealed, tipping the scales at around 700 kg (1,543 lbs), which is undoubtedly an attention-grabbing figure, and a sophisticated immersion-cooled battery pack.
Creating an EV that is only 70 kg (154 pounds) heavier than the equivalent ICE-powered model is not an easy task, but Caterham made it happen using the existing Seven chassis as a base.
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The rear-mounted electric motor was developed by Swindon Powertrain which has been Caterham’s engine supplier since the early ’90s. The E-axle has been engineered to have similar characteristics to the combustion engine, producing 240 hp (178 kW / 243 PS) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque which is good for a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in around 4 seconds.
The battery pack with a capacity of 51 kWh (40 kWh usable) is mounted under the bonnet and in the transmission tunnel. More importantly, it uses immersion-cooled technology inspired by supercomputers. Cooling is taken care of by a “dielectric fluid” which is in direct contact with the cells, improving thermal management. This “cutting-edge” tech makes it possible for the EV to perform for longer in demanding track use. Caterham suggests that the electric Seven can be used in 20-15-20 drive cycles on the track, meaning it can drive for 20 minutes, spend 15 minutes charging and then drive for another 20 minutes at full throttle. The prototype is capable of up to 152 kW DC rapid charging and features a regenerative braking system.
The chassis is equipped with a limited-slip differential, track-ready adjustable Bilstein dampers sourced from the Seven 420 Cup, and four-piston brake calipers.
While all of the above specs sound quite promising, don’t expect to see the electric Seven offered for sale anytime soon. Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham, said: “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 customer’s specific use cases”. Speaking about the timing of the model’s launch Laishley said: “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”.
The Caterham boss was quite serious when talking about the zero-emission models of tomorrow: “Any future EV model we produce must be true to the DNA of a Caterham: lightweight, fun-to-drive and driver-focused” adding that they would “never going to launch a one-tonne Seven”.
The Caterham EV Seven concept will make its first public outing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Interestingly, this is not the only zero-emission vehicle coming from Caterham this year as the company is working on another “fully electric sports car concept” with more details set to be announced in the coming months.
