Caterham engaged on electrical Seven, new EV roadster

Caterham will maintain making its petrol-powered Seven for a while but, but it surely’s engaged on each an electrical model and a brand new electrical roadster.

Firm CEO Bob Laishley advised Autocar work on an electrified Seven is effectively beneath method, despite the fact that Caterham homeowners haven’t been asking for such a automobile, however the firm is in no hurry to launch it.

A number of experimental variations have additionally reportedly been constructed privately, although a manufacturing mannequin is known to be a minimum of 5 years away.

“From the start, Caterham’s historical past has centred round repurposing OEM elements in an imaginative method,” stated Mr Laishley.

“If I wish to try this with a Seven EV, the place do I get lightness? We’re nonetheless within the early days of small EV improvement. Components are conservative and heavy.

“We’re by no means going to wish to launch a 1000kg Seven. We’d fairly not do it.”

His ideally suited Seven EV is one which weighs lower than 700kg and affords “20-15-20” efficiency, the place homeowners can arrive to a observe absolutely charged, drive quick for 20 minutes, recharge for quarter-hour, then do it once more.

“If we are able to’t ship a Seven that may do that, we shouldn’t be launching it,” he stated.

Caterham has definitively dominated out providing a hybrid mannequin.

“We’re about lightness. Why would we construct a automotive that wants two separate powertrains? It will be a horrendous compromise,” stated Mr Laishley.

As for the opposite deliberate EV, Mr Laishley says it’s “simply an thought in folks’s heads” for the time being however the firm’s new Japanese proprietor, VT Holdings, is eager to make it a actuality.

The deliberate EV received’t be fairly as utilitarian because the Seven, nor will it’s as reasonably priced, however will probably be inbuilt a brand new manufacturing unit at larger volumes than the Seven.

It might reportedly be unveiled as quickly as 2026, sooner than the Seven EV.

“It will undoubtedly not be a Seven,” Mr Laishley stated, “But it surely’ll have all of the traits right this moment’s Caterham prospects know effectively: lightness, simplicity, agility and efficiency.”

“Just like the Seven, it’ll have a metal spaceframe (however a special one) as a result of they’re simple to switch in manufacturing if it is advisable to. It can have a six-panel enveloping physique in aluminium or carbon: two sills, two doorways plus clamshell openings entrance and rear.

“It is going to be prettier and extra trendy than a Seven – these will likely be massive factors of distinction – and possibly it’ll have a roof. We’re designing it as a pure EV from the beginning, with rear drive solely, and will probably be registered beneath SVA guidelines.”

The Single Car Approval scheme is a pre-registration inspection for vehicles that haven’t been accepted to British or European requirements, and is often utilized by package vehicles and very low-volume manufacturing autos.

Caterham has tried to introduce a companion mannequin to the Seven earlier than. The C120 coupe was developed with Renault, however the boutique British model ran out of funds in 2014 and the venture was cancelled.

Renault’s effort did, nevertheless, attain manufacturing within the form of the Alpine A110.

As for Caterham’s iconic petrol-powered Seven, will probably be produced for a minimum of one other decade, even when the UK’s proposed 2030 ban on petrol and diesel vehicles is maintained, as Caterham nonetheless sees export potential past this date.

The Seven was first conceived by Colin Chapman as a Lotus all the way in which again in 1957, with Caterham buying the rights after Lotus ended manufacturing in 1972.

Over time, it has used powertrains sourced from quite a few different firms, together with Ford, Normal Motors and Rover.

The corporate, bought by its Japanese importer final yr, lately revealed its lightest Seven but: the 170.

Powered by a Suzuki-sourced 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 63kW of energy and 116Nm of torque, it weighs simply 440kg and has a power-to-weight ratio exceeding 126kW per tonne.

Final yr, Caterham constructed 500 autos. It presently employs 135 folks, and Caterham says demand for its autos is robust.

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