Caterham on Thursday revealed an EV that holds true to the light-and-lean components that some may say is a part of what defines a sports activities automotive. 

Within the age of electrical vehicles, these are critical challenges, and we haven’t seen an electrical sports activities automotive that’s actually gentle and doesn’t have a supercar worth for the reason that authentic Tesla Roadster. 

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

Enter Caterham’s Undertaking V, which measures 167.5 inches lengthy—a few foot longer than the Mazda MX-5 Miata or Tesla Roadster. It’s 74.5 inches huge and rides on a 101.6-inch wheelbase. However above all, its 48.3-inch general top is maybe most noteworthy, on this period of difficult skateboard-platform proportions. Based mostly on the format illustration offered by Caterham, it’s separated the battery into two sections—one simply forward of the passenger cell, one simply behind it, however each throughout the axles. 

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

Caterham is focusing on a weight of simply over 2,600 kilos for the undertaking. A battery pack of simply 55 kwh and up to date good points in vitality density made it a minimum of doable on the drafting board. 

The rear-wheel-drive sports activities automotive could have only one 200-kw electrical motor mounted on the rear axle. The idea runs on a double-wishbone suspension, entrance and rear, and makes use of staggered-width Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires biased to the rear. The UK sports-car maker plans a chassis manufactured from carbon fiber and aluminum, plus composite bodywork.

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

By holding the automotive gentle, what’s seen as modest energy in the present day shall be lots to maneuver shortly. Caterham anticipates a 0-62 mph time of lower than 4.5 seconds and a prime pace round 143 mph. In the meantime, the modest mass will assist with vary for this sports activities automotive, too—with a focused 249 miles WLTP, which could determine round 200 miles for these of us who go by the EPA cycle. 

Caterham is focusing on a 20-80% cost in quarter-hour, on a 150-kw DC fast-charger. That’s one other side through which holding the battery small pays off, with no requirement to hunt out the highest-power 350-kw or 400-kw chargers for a fast road-trip cease. 

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

The automotive retains it easy with seating, too, with a 2+1 seating format normal and a pair of+2 as elective. That helps enable extra consolation and make that one rear place usable, and the corporate says that it’s exploiting the packaging advantages of an EV. In entrance, the interface is driver-focused and easy. Caterham guarantees smartphone mirroring—which to most customers means Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

If this all feels like much more element than an idea automotive wants, that’s as a result of Caterham emphasizes it’s much more than an idea—maybe in the identical approach Porsche has seen its Mission E and Mission X ideas. Full engineering and manufacturing feasibility analyses had been carried out in the course of the growth course of, and if the items land proper a manufacturing mannequin may arrive in late 2025 or early 2026, in response to the agency. 

Caterham Undertaking V idea electrical sports activities automotive

The EV could be a worldwide mannequin, in response to Caterham, constructed by Italdesign and created by Caterham’s chief designer Anthony Jannarelly. Caterham wish to promote the manufacturing model within the U.S., it instructed Inexperienced Automobile Reviews, however separate crash-test approvals would slot its arrival later than that for the market. 

The electrical coupe wouldn’t substitute the area of interest model’s signature Seven however complement it, stated Caterham Vehicles CEO Bob Lashley in a launch concerning the automotive forward of its Thursday debut on the Goodwood Pageant of Pace. 

Caterham’s already deep sufficient into the undertaking to have a goal worth for it, too: 80,000 British kilos (about $103,900 at in the present day’s charges).