'WE DON'T HAVE A QUEUE OF PEOPLE wanting to buy an EV Seven.' It's a line I've heard a number of times from Bob Laishley, Caterham's CEO. However, since the company's announcement in late May that it was building an EV Seven to help development of the EV drivetrain for its soon-to-be-revealed, all-new sports car, interest in an electric Seven has spiked.
A battery-electric drivetrain and the lightweight Seven have been considered incompatible thus far, yet in its efforts to understand electrification, what is required and what is possible, Caterham has developed an EV Seven concept with long-time engine partner Swindon Powertrain. At the outset, Caterham was very conscious of staying as true to its guiding principles as possible: 'Lightweight, simple, fun to drive' is a Laishley mantra.
Arriving at Swindon Powertrain's factory, the sound of a four-cylinder engine being worked on a dyno drifts from the building that it has occupied for over 50 years. The company has a long history of internal combustion excellence: just last year its engine powered Tom Ingram's BTCC-winning Hyundai i30 N, and it supplied the 250bhp Vauxhall engine for the Caterham Seven JPE. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, Swindon Powertrain embraced electrification some years ago. The catalyst was when Swindon's MD, Raphaël Caillé, drove a Tesla Model S. He describes it as a revelation that made him realise that the company had to embrace electrification or become a mere fettler of museum pieces. It has now developed its own drivetrain components and battery technology and has been designing, manufacturing and producing electric vehicles and bicycles for getting on for five years.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Cupra Formentor Abt
It's farewell to the original Cupra Formentor with an Abt-tuned run-out package. It's a quietly excellent car; just a shame about the price...
Renault Sport Clio 200 Turbo
This misguided departure from the French brand's hot hatch heritage saw the Clio fall from grace
REBIRTH OF AN ICON
The Kalmar 9X9 is a modernday reinterpretation of Porsche's game-changing 959 supercar, with a carbon body and up to 917bhp. And evo is helping to develop it
Volkswagen Golf GTI
The underachieving Mk8 GTI gets a shot at redemption with the new, revised Mk8.5 version. Is it the leap forward it needs to be?
BEST BUYS
FAST FORDS FROM THE CORTINA TO THE ESCORT AND THE FIESTA, Ford is responsible for some of the most popular cars in British history. But alongside these everyday machines it has also produced a stream of desirable driver's cars.
HY AND DRY
The switch to electric power means an early exit for Hyundai N's brilliant ICE hot hatch duo. We go for a farewell drive in the 120 N
SEXY BEAST
The Vanquish name is back for Aston Martin's latest seriesproduction flagship, with a stunning new look and simply brutal performance from an 824bhp twin-turbo V12
THE JOY OF DRIVING
From mastering the everyday commute to unlocking the full potential of your performance car, our new series will help you become safer, more confident and ultimately more skilled behind the wheel
TINY DANCER
You haven't seen a Mini dance like this before, but then you haven't seen a Mini with a 4-litre M Power V8 under the bonnet and rear-wheel drive. Introducing Vini...
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Grandaddy to the Temerario and the car that transformed Lamborghini was the brilliant, V10-engined Gallardo. We get reacquainted with a Lambo legend