Iconic sports car brand Caterham is going electric

Caterham is known for its back-to-basics petrol sports cars, but even it can’t avoid the march of electrification.

The Caterham Project V will be revealed in July, and is being pitched as “driver focussed, lightweight and fun to drive”.

“This is the essence of a sports car with an electric powertrain. This is a statement of intent. This is Project V,” the brand says.

There are no images of the car just yet, save for a shadowy silhouette that calls to mind classic Lola racers.

With prominent fenders front and rear, a subtle spoiler down back, and what looks like a two-seat cabin, it’s a far cry from the simple shape of the Seven.

When it arrives, the Project V will sit alongside the EV Seven recently revealed by Caterham.

Despite the added weight of the battery pack, Caterham claims the EV Seven concept is less than 70kg heavier than the Seven 485 and weighs less than 700kg. It has a power-to-weight ratio of 245kW per tonne.

It’s powered by a bespoke version of Swindon Powertrain’s HPDE electric motor which produces 179kW of power and 250Nm of torque, which is roughly the same as the petrol-powered Seven 420.

Caterham estimates the EV Seven concept can do the 0-60mph (0-96 km/h) sprint in 4.0 seconds, and flat out you’ll be doing an estimated 209 km/h.

This electric motor is fed by a 51kWh immersion-cooled battery with a 40kWh usable capacity. It can be DC fast-charged at speeds of up to 152kW.

This isn’t the first time Caterham has looked to move away from the Seven as its only model.

In 2013 it revealed the Ford-powered AeroSeven Concept, with a view to putting it into production in 2014. Unfortunately the brand ran out of cash in 2014, and the project was shelved.