THE MUCH-LOVED CATERHAM SEVEN - SOON AVAILABLE IN EV FORM, POSSIBLY.
The Caterham Seven is a lightweight sports car that traces back to the original Lotus Seven introduced by the late Colin Chapman of Lotus Cars. Back in 1973 Caterham Cars was allowed to recreate these cars under licence, and has been making them ever since. The Seven is known for its minimalist design while being able to afford the driver some amazing performance and handling akin to a much bigger and more expensive sportscar. The car features a tubular steel chassis, lightweight bodywork, and a low-slung design - all features that contribute to its brilliant handling and performance. One of the key aspects of the Caterham Seven is its customization options, the chassis is set up to accommodate a wide variety of engine setups, and oftentimes buyers can also opt for different suspension and braking options to further tailor the car to the driver’s needs. Caterham Sevens are super-popular in both amateur and professional races and are often seen in healthy numbers during open track days. With the car’s worldwide popularity and overall affordability, it was only a matter of time before we saw the iconic roadster getting a more modern powerplant, which in the case of the newly-revealed concept is a fully electric motor setup.
The Caterham EV Seven is a concept created to futureproof the iconic nameplate with a fully electric Seven. The EV Seven will be engineered in collab with Swindon Powertrain Ltd, chosen thanks to their reputation of being a leader in the development of advanced powertrains for both road and motorsport applications. EV Seven is based on the larger, wider Seven chassis and features a special version of Swindon Powertrain’s E Axle, combined with an immersion-cooled battery pack. Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham, said: “Any future EV model we produce must be true to the DNA of a Caterham: lightweight, fun-to-drive and driver-focused. The main objective for this project is to develop a vehicle with a weight delta of no more than the equivalent of having a passenger on board. We’re never going to launch a one-tonne Seven – we’d rather not do it. Building a Seven that’s capable of a Sunday morning drive is achievable with current battery technology, but the challenge is for track use where the energy consumption is greatly increased. At the moment, immersion battery cooling is one of the best solutions in terms of coping with the rapid charge and discharge cycles that would be experienced on a race track.” The resulting weight increase from the batteries and drivetrain is a mere 70kg over the regular Seven. The EV version produces 240 hp (179 kW) with peak torque of 250Nm which results in an estimated 0-60 mph time of around 4.0 seconds. The EV Seven will also festure a limited-slip diffl, adjustable Bilstein dampers from the Seven 420 Cup, regenerative braking and quad-piston brake calipers. “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. 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,” added Laishley.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off a fusion of vintage style with new, cutting-edge technology as one of the most popular track day specials is looking to the future with this new concept that sees the retro-styled Caterham Seven powered by an all-electric motor setup, a huge FU to the naysayers that don't like the advancement of EVs because they take away driving and racing's soul. We like this, and can image EV kits being sold to retrofit older Sevens and get them future-worthy, but that remains to be seen, we're jumping the gun a wee bit: Caterham EV Seven: A Fusion of Retro Charm and Electric Excitement | Cool Ideas
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel here for more exciting and exclusive SXdrv content! And don't forget to smash that subscribe button!
Article Tags:
Caterham Caterham Seven Caterham 7 SXdrv Open Top EV Caterham EV Seven Electric Fully Electric Concept Future News