Caterham is out to prove that electric vehicles don't have to be heavier than their gas-powered counterparts with a sultry electric sports car code-named Project V.
Caterham is best known for its lightweight track cars based on the original Lotus Seven design. The company's ethos is driver focused, lightweight, and fun to drive, and that is very much the goal for the Project V.
The car is currently in development with a targeted weight of less than 2,624 pounds. In comparison, the Lotus Evija hypercar, one of the lightest EVs in production, weighs more than 3,700 pounds, although it also has a record-breaking output of 2,011 hp.
Confirmed specifications for the Project V include a 268-hp electric motor at the rear axle and a 55-kwh battery in the floor. The combination, according to Caterham, is good for 0-62 mph acceleration in less than 4.5 seconds, a top speed of 143 mph, and a range of 249 miles on the generous WLTP test cycle used overseas. It should still come in at more than 200 miles when measured on the EPA cycle. Using a DC fast charger, the battery can be charged from 20-80% in about 15 minutes.
The relatively small battery helps keep the weight down, as does a carbon-fiber monocoque and a composite body in the style of a coupe. The body was penned by Caterham's new design chief, Anthony Jannarelly, the designer behind the equally sultry Jannarelly Design-1 sports car.
The Project V has a double-wishbone suspension with adjustable geometry at both ends, plus electric power steering, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (19-inch front and 20-inch rear), and a high-performance brake package.
For the interior, virtually every item was selected for lightness and better driver engagement. The result is a pared-back design with a 2+1 seating arrangement as standard and 2+2 available.
Caterham Project V
Caterham Project V
Caterham Project V
The Project V is slated to arrive by late 2025 or early the following year, and Caterham has already announced a targeted price of less than 80,000 British pounds (approximately $103,650).
The company will present the car at this week's 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K., where it will also show a pair of electric Seven prototypes. Caterham has previously said an electric Seven will only reach production after the Project V. Part of the reason is that current EV technology is still too heavy for a car like the Seven, according to the company.
“We are honored to be able to unveil two new vehicles from Caterham at Goodwood Festival of Speed,” Kazuho Takahashi, CEO of Caterham parent company VT Holdings, said in a statement. “The new models are a result of an uncompromising fusion of two seemingly contradictory requirements: retaining the Caterham values that must never change, while evolving to meet the changing demands of customers, such as the shift towards electric.”
