MOBILITY ENGINEERING Produced by SAE Media Group
MOBILITY ENGINEERING
Magazines
Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Caterham Project V EV on Track for 2027

Design simplicy should make for a lot of fun on the track.

The Caterham Projevt V uses a 55-kWh battery pack sourced from Xing Mobility split into two parts and will have an estimated 249 miles (401 km) of range (WLTP mixed).

Inside its forthcoming Project V electric vehicle, Caterham is piecing together what it hopes wil be a straightforward, fun EV. The exterior was designed by Anthony Jannarelly with the Lotus Elan in mind. The powertrain eschews complexity because simplicity is what the Caterham audience is looking for, whether in a classic like the Seven or this new type of Caterham for the electric era.

Caterham has released its target specifications for the Project V. These include a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time under 4.5 seconds and a 143 mph (230 km/h) top speed. A 55-kWh battery pack will provide an estimated 249 miles (401 km) of range (WLTP mixed). Expected price will bearound 100,000 pounds ($135,000).

Those numbers will be made possible because Caterham is using some off-the-shelf components, like the Yamaha Motor 200 kW, 400V e-axle with inverter, reduction gear and permanent magnet synchronous all-in-one motor on the rear axle. The two liquid-cooled battery packs, each just over 27 kWh, are sourced from Xing Mobility. The few modern touches in the powertrain are there because of regulations.

“We’re not looking to assist the drive. We’re just going for the minimum amount of traction control that we absolutely have to have,” Justin Gardiner, Caterham Cars’ overseas representative, told Sae Media at CES in January. “Because this is a new car, it will have to have ABS, it will have to have traction control, and it will have to have airbags, none of which are available on the Seven. But we are keeping it as simple as possible. One motor, rear wheels, that’s it.”

To make the Project V behave like the Seven on the road, Caterham uses two battery packs as far away from each other as feasible.

The powertrain is made up of a 200 kW all-in-one motor from Yamaha with a 400V e-axle with inverter, reduction gear and permanent magnet synchronous motor on the rear axle.

“Whereas every other EV manufacturer tends to put the batteries in the skateboard, we have absolutely deliberately put the driver’s seat as close to the ground as possible,” Gardiner said. “While every other car manufacturer wants [the weight] all the way to the middle, we’ve deliberately pushed it all the way to the front and the back, because that’s the way it is in the Seven, and that’s what makes the Seven fun to drive. Polar momentum is the term, and we’re deliberately putting polar momentum into this car.”

The car can fast charge at up to 100 kW with a NACS connector (in the U.S.). The Xing Mobility batteries are immersed in a dielectric liquid, which will give them better charge and discharge properties, especially during intense drives.

“We know how our drivers drive,” Gardiner said. “Catherham drivers like to thrash the hell out of their cars. So let’s put it another way. We don’t really care about charging time. We care about discharge time. If somebody’s draining those batteries really, really fast, a lot of EVs will go into limp mode because they’re overheating. We know our customers are going to do that. We just know they are. So we have to make the battery packs work.”

Caterham said the Projevt V will go into full-scale production for global sales in 2027. It will continue to sell the Seven roadster.

Topics:
Automotive Design Electrification

More From SAE Media Group

    Top Stories

    INSIDERDefense

    Feature Image New Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Agreements Expand Missile Defense Production

    NewsAutomotive

    Feature Image Ford Announces 48-Volt Architecture for Future Electric Truck

    INSIDERManufacturing & Prototyping

    Feature Image Active Strake System Cuts Cruise Drag, Boosts Flight Efficiency

    ArticlesTransportation

    Feature Image Accelerating Down the Road to Autonomy

    INSIDERMaterials

    Feature Image How Airbus is Using w-DED to 3D Print Larger Titanium Airplane Parts

    Road ReadyTransportation

    Feature Image 2026 Nissan Sentra Review: Putting the Pieces Together

    Webcasts