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

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

Caterham Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

Enter Caterham’s Challenge V, which measures 167.5 inches lengthy—a couple of foot longer than the Mazda MX-5 Miata or Tesla Roadster. It’s 74.5 inches vast and rides on a 101.6-inch wheelbase. However above all, its 48.3-inch total peak is probably most noteworthy, on this period of difficult skateboard-platform proportions. Primarily based 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 inside the axles. 

Caterham Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

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

The rear-wheel-drive sports activities automobile may 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 Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

By protecting the automobile gentle, what’s seen as modest energy at this time will likely be lots to maneuver rapidly. Caterham anticipates a 0-62 mph time of lower than 4.5 seconds and a prime velocity round 143 mph. In the meantime, the modest mass will assist with vary for this sports activities automobile, 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 facet through which protecting 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 Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

Caterham Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

Caterham Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

The automobile retains it easy with seating, too, with a 2+1 seating format customary and a couple of+2 as non-compulsory. That helps permit 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 Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

If this all seems like much more element than an idea automobile wants, that’s as a result of Caterham emphasizes it’s much more than an idea—maybe in the identical method Porsche has seen its Mission E and Mission X ideas. Full engineering and manufacturing feasibility analyses have been carried out through the improvement course of, and if the items land proper a manufacturing mannequin may arrive in late 2025 or early 2026, in keeping with the agency. 

Caterham Challenge V idea electrical sports activities automobile

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

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

Caterham’s already deep sufficient into the mission to have a goal value for it, too: 80,000 British kilos (about $103,900 at at this time’s charges).