The unique Lotus Seven was an impressed idea. It was utterly, totally minimalistic, and thus in excellent maintaining with Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s philosophy of efficiency via gentle weight.

At this time, the legacy of the Seven rests with Caterham, and meaning the corporate has the burden of reinventing the light-weight roadster for the electrical period, one thing that doesn’t precisely jibe with Chapman’s philosophy.

The most important hurdle for Caterham is the best way to ship an electrical Seven as driver-focused because the gas-powered automobile. There’s additionally the problem of the best way to cram in sufficient batteries within the tiny Seven physique to make sure first rate longevity at monitor speeds whereas nonetheless maintaining weight down. Caterham is up for the problem, although, and the corporate on Wednesday offered a style of what an electrical Seven may be like with the reveal of the EV Seven idea.

The idea encompasses a single motor on the rear axle, producing a peak 240 hp. Its battery is a 40-kwh unit in a position to cost at as much as 152 kw utilizing a DC quick charger.

Caterham estimates the idea will dash to 60 mph in 4 seconds and high out at 130 mph. The corporate additionally claims the curb weight is lower than 1,543 kilos, which is just about 250 kilos heavier than your typical Seven. Caterham’s weight goal is to roughly match the load of a gas-powered Seven carrying a passenger.

“Any electrical Seven have to be usable on each the highway and monitor,” Bob Laishley, Caterham’s CEO, stated in a press release. “For the latter, this implies being able to a repeatable 20-15-20 drive cycle: the power to drive on monitor for 20 minutes and recharge in quarter-hour with sufficient power to drive for an extra 20 minutes.

The EV Seven isn’t meant for manufacturing however will likely be used as a feasibility research for a future electrical Seven. It has been developed in partnership with Swindon Powertrain, an organization that develops powertrains for each highway and race automobiles, and options an immersion cooled battery pack, which is new to the world automobiles (it’s usually present in tremendous computer systems) and encompasses a design the place the cooling liquid is in direct contact with the battery cells.

The EV Seven idea will make its debut in July on the U.Okay.’s 2023 Goodwood Competition of Velocity. Whereas it isn’t sure for manufacturing in its present type, Caterham is growing an electrical sports activities automobile that it intends to construct and promote within the close to future. The automobile is being labored on by proficient designer Anthony Jannarelly and is ready to be revealed later this yr.

HIGH-RES GALLERY: Caterham EV Seven idea

This text was initially printed by Motor Authority, an editorial associate of ClassicCars.com