Caterham EV Seven Concept Is Charged And Ready For Trackdays

All-electric Caterham EV Seven Concept.

Set to publicly bow at this year’s edition of the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Caterham EV Seven Concept sees the renowned specialist UK track car builders embracing a possible electric future through one of its signature offerings.

Based on the Caterham brand’s staple Seven open-wheel two-seat sportscar, which in itself is a modern redux of the Lotus Seven, this electrified prototype reportedly tips the scale at just about 700 KG. Said figure see it weigh just 70 KG more than the combustion-powered Seven it underpins, in fact.

Despite the EV conversion, the EV Seven Concept still remains lightweight at 700 KG - just 70 KG more than the regular Seven it underpins!

Though built using an existing Seven chassis, Caterham have managed to keep the prototype’s weight as low as possible – just like the original. Moreover, the switch to electric also sees this prototype harness a rather novel and sophisticated new immersion-cooled battery pack featuring a 50 kWh capacity.

Said battery, which is mounted up front underneath the bonnet and through the transmission tunnel, is cooled using “dielectric fluid” – tech found in supercomputers. It is in direct contact with the cells to grant improved thermal management, thus enabling this EV to perform for longer in demanding track use.

The battery pack is ingeniously mounted underneath the front bonnet and through the transmission tunnel.

This special concept sees long-time suppliers Swindon Powertrain developing its electric driveline setup.

With it, Caterham claims that the EV Seven Concept can be used in a 20-15-20 track driving cycle – 20 minutes of track driving, followed by a 15-minute recharge time before another 20-minute bout of track driving at full throttle.

Enabling said driving cycle too are the batteries acceptance of DC rapid charging inputs as high as 152 kW, as well as the added presence of a regenerative braking system in the driveline.

Regular Caterham Seven (left) and the electrified EV Seven Concept (right).

The powertrain this prototype adopts was developed by long-time suppliers Swindon Powertrain. It consists of both a 51 kWh battery pack mounted underneath the bonnet and through the transmission tunnel, and a rear-mounted electric motor that serves up respectable outputs of 240 HP and 250 NM.

Also, said motor is paired with something called an ‘E-axle’ that’s been engineered to perform with characteristics similar to that of a combustion engine. Altogether, it enables this electrified lightweight prototype sportscar to despatch 0-60 MPH (96 KM/H) sprints in around 4 seconds, says Caterham.

Other notable features primed include a limited-slip differential, race-derived adjustable Bilstein suspension sourced from the manic Seven 420 Cup race car, as well as equally beefy quad-piston brake calipers.

This is one EV that's ready for trackdays indeed!

Presently, Caterham has no plans to put the EV Seven Concept into mass production yet, citing the need for further tests and evaluation prior to any market entry plans. Nevertheless, Caterham CEO Bob Laishley reportedly expressed a serious tone whilst discussing potential zero-emissions models for the future.

Any future EV model we produce must be true to the DNA of a Caterham: lightweight, fun-to-drive and driver-focused” adds Laishley before stressing the fact that Caterham would “launch a one-tonne Seven”. More details are expected following the concept’s public debut at Goodwood next month.