Caterham has announced plans to get into the electric vehicle space, and will be doing so by delivering an all-electric version of the Seven car model. This car is said to be only 70 kgs heavier than the regular Seven, and therefore will weigh less than 700 kgs total, all while still achieving the 20-15-20 promise, which will mean 20 minutes of track time, 15 minutes of charging, and then 20 more minutes on the track.
The car will also be road legal, and Caterham has noted that it can already build a car that is capable of a "Sunday morning drive", but intends to also make a car that you want to rag around the local racetrack, meaning it will need a more powerful and efficient battery and electric motor system, which is said to be manufactured by Swindon Powertrain Ltd.
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."
We're told that this car will offer a maximum power of 240 bhp, max torque of 250 Nm, feature a 51 kWh battery pack that is immersion-cooled and can be fast-charged when connected to DC power, all of which will allow the EV Seven to clock out at 130 mph and achieve 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds.
The car will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this July, and as for when it will start shipping and be available to consumers, Caterham hasn't specifically mentioned that. The car manufacturer did add however that it has a second all-electric sports car concept in the works that will be revealed later this year.