Yahoo Autos Caterham is looking for the right recipe to electrify the Seven
Caterham's new owner wasted no time in laying out its plans for the storied British brand. Japan-based VT Holdings is already planning to release an electric version of the Seven, but it pledged not to dilute what the firm stands for.
VT Holdings CEO Kazuho Takahashi said his group had become the "custodian of a motoring legend" shortly after it purchased Caterham in April 2021, a statement that seemingly indicates a 5,500-pound SUV isn't in the pipeline. However, he warned adding an EV to the range would likely be necessary, and the model is starting to take shape.
British magazine Autocar learned from Caterham boss Graham Macdonald that his team's priority is to offset the weight added by the bulky electric powertrain. The EV needs to ride and handle like a Caterham, he clarified. The magazine adds that features found on most modern electric cars, like regenerative braking technology, could be left out to keep mass in check. Weight-saving materials will help engineers achieve their goals, too. And, the electric Seven (whose name hasn't been revealed yet) will likely be as basic as the firm's piston-powered cars. The option of making it "bigger, heavier, and nicer to sit in" than current Caterham cars remains on the table, however.
