It’s up to Caterham to lead the lightweight EV sportscars

At the other end of the scale is the antithesis of a luxurious limousine. Lightweight sportscars are simply at odds with the fundamental qualities of an EV. Lotus has halted plans to develop an electric successor to the Elise until the technology is available to offer a lighter weight platform that conforms to the core values of an Elise. Caterham, it seems, has no such qualms, and reckons that its Project V will tip the scales at 1,190kg in production form. That’s no Elise, let alone a Seven, but it’s not far off an Alpine A110 with its internal combustion engine and obsessively lightweight construction.

Caterham’s history is entwined with Lotus’. When Lotus wanted to push upmarket it sold the rights to the Lotus Seven and Caterham has made hay with it for 51 years. Now that Caterham has ambition to move upmarket, it would be ironic if it took over the mantle from the Elise, leaving Lotus to play catch-up. Actually, it’s not strictly true to say that Caterham is moving upmarket; the production version of the Project V will be offered alongside the Seven rather than replacing it. 

There’s more recent history with Alpine. The A110 was originally a joint venture with Caterham, but the Caterham C120 remains stillborn since the partnership hit the buffers midway through development. Is Caterham about to challenge both Lotus and Alpine at their own games?

The Project V is not the first Caterham to have deviated from the Seven theme. In 1995, there was the Caterham 21, a full-bodied two-seater that used the Seven’s underpinnings. That meant it has a surprisingly cramped cockpit as well as absence of wind-up windows and other niceties that the Elise could offer. The result? Very few were made. Similarly limited in production was the SP.300/R of 2012, a track day special that intended to challenge Radical.

Caterham’s latest deviation from the Seven is an altogether more mainstream offering. The Project V transposes the firm’s values of light weight, simplicity and driver focus to a package that’s much more habitable than a Seven. The curvaceous composite bodywork is a far cry from the pop-stud roof and exposed exhaust of a Seven, yet the interior is stark by the standards of a modern car. Many will welcome that.

OK, there’s a smartphone mirroring screen, but there are also analogue instruments and a simple three-spoke steering wheel. There’s also a single back seat: the styling looks mid-engined, but the EV platform allows alternative packaging.

The Project V made its public debut at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. While ostensibly a concept car, there was always a definite intention for it to reach production and, since then, Caterham has announced technical partnerships that should see testing start this year and production begin in 2026. Yamaha is on board to develop the motors while Taiwanese firm Xing is working on the batteries. 

The 55kW lithium-ion pack delivers its energy to the 272PS (200kW) motors which Caterham says translates to a 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 143mph. Those are not figures that will write headlines, but they’re just about right for a typical British B-road or a continental mountain pass. For reference, that performance is akin to that of a mid-range Caterham Seven 360. All with the benefit of a roof that doesn’t look like it will blow away.

As well as looking and feeling very different to a Seven, the Project V is also very different in its construction. Out goes the spaceframe chassis and riveted aluminium, and in comes carbon fibre composite and aluminium construction. By the time the Project V reaches showrooms, the price is expected to be around £80,000. 

We’re at the dawn of the EV sportscar era. MG’s Cyberster is already here, the next Porsche Boxster is going electric as is the Alpine A110’s successor. The MG weighs 1,885kg, while the Boxster’s weight is as-yet disclosed. With Lotus sitting out of the game for now and little yet known about the Alpine, Caterham is blazing the trail for lightweight electric sportscars. By global automotive standards, Caterham is a minnow, but at the moment it is single-handedly giving us hope for the future of B-road fun in the electrified age.