Caterham Will Show Its First Electric Car Later This Year

[CBuff]

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a43781070/caterham-first-electric-car/
 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/caterham-electric-car-break-cover-imminently-radical-design
 

[IamScotticus]

Its about time.

A 7 is a perfect EV.

[Vovchandr]

Let's be frank. Few if any of us will be target market. Whatever it will be it doesn't hit any of the notes that mimic the ethos essence of the 7 that drove us to like the 7. 

 

It won't have the pedigree

It won't have the lightness

It won't have the noise 

It's unlikely to be just as much of an open concept and will likely have either side glass and or doors and back window

 

 

You won't be able to put one together at home 

You won't be able to really service it yourself

It will likely be quick but thats not what drives is to these

 

Frankly I'm not sure who the market for this will be. I know they are forced to make them but for who? Will they have airbags and be able to sold directly in US due to passing safety regs? At least that would increase the customer base greatly

[IamScotticus]

Who buys 7s today?  Not gear heads.  Software engineers wanting a toy.  They won't want to get dirty.

Components of an EV are about as reliable and maintenance free as you can get.  If all you have to do is plug it in at night, thsts a win for a lot of future customers.

With much cooler feet.

[Vovchandr]

11 minutes ago, IamScotticus said:

Who buys 7s today?  Not gear heads.  Software engineers wanting a toy.  They won't want to get dirty.

Components of an EV are about as reliable and maintenance free as you can get.  If all you have to do is plug it in at night, thsts a win for a lot of future customers.

With much cooler feet.

 

You're right. I was thinking more second hand owners rather than first owners putting on new orders. 

 

Not familiar with that demographic whatsoever. 

[IamScotticus]

Well, now that I read the articles, its this:

Well, its not a 7, nor should we compare it to a 7.  Cat will continue to sell 7s.  This will flop.  Like the 21, a bigger car company will bring a competitor that checks more boxes.  Once again Cat will learn..

 

[Vovchandr]

I'd be more okay with this concept but still not the same 

 

[IamScotticus]

17 minutes ago, Vovchandr said:

I'd be more okay with this concept but still not the same 

 

Much better👍

[11Budlite]

That orange car sure looks like a modification of the stillborn Caterham Alpine coupe from a few years back.

[David K]

The seven community has never been particularly married to one power train over another. It's just been question of how much horsepower, and can we fit it! The chassis is the thing. I'd love to have a powerful electric engine with a smallish battery to get me around the track 20 or 25 times. The car could remain well balanced, and have the eyeball pressing torque of an electric motor. Count me in when there is a mainstream modification for our cars.

[yellowss7]

Don’t know about other tracks but NJMP will not let electric or hybrid vehicles on track. 

[IamScotticus]

48 minutes ago, yellowss7 said:

Don’t know about other tracks but NJMP will not let electric or hybrid vehicles on track. 

Because they are too fast?

[yellowss7]

Maybe on a drag strip 

[MV8]

8 hours ago, IamScotticus said:

Because they are too fast?

Likely because of the danger to responders due to voltage/shorting and a fire that can't be put out easily.

[panamericano]

It takes training and different equipment to fight the type fire of the batteries.  Even many regular municipal fire departments are not yet prepared, so some electric car fires are still just left to burn themselves out.  That poses dangers to everyone and everything around, even the pavement.  Much like a tire fire, it takes a LOT of water, but on a more massive scale.  Drag it to standing water is the easiest (pond), but rarely convenient.  A private race track simply can't begin to handle it.

[yellowss7]

That is correct.  My wife’s cousin had a Tesla Plaid for all of three days, when he smelled smoke, exited the car and it burned for three hours with 25,000 gallons of water being poured on it.    

[DavidL]

I wouldn't diss young software engineers.  A friend of mine is in his 20s, started with a Cross-flow powered Locost he bought from someone, rebuilt the engine, and now has a ferrocious Duratec Caterham (250 hp?) that he works on all the time.  He's even got a 2-post lift in his garage!

 

As for electrics, noise isn't the only thing that defines a sports car.  I remember talking to Ian Wright of Wrightspeed a few years ago at a car show.  He's the ex-Tesla engineer/executive  who was doing the rounds here in California with his fantastically fast eletric Ariel Atom, just before Tesla had broken cover.  Anyway, he said he didn't miss shifting or engine noise.  I'm not sure where I stand, but an Atom is certainly a 7-like open air experience.  Carving through turns, wind in your face, hunting apexes, these are some of the rewards of driving a sportscar, the soundtrack isn't the whole deal.

 

 

[CBuff]

Caterham reveals electric verison of iconic Seven roadster
 

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1139744_caterham-ev-seven-concept-revealed
 

[Bartman]

I'd love to drive an EV as my daily driver, the convenience of an overnight charge and 50-70 miles per work day infers it would be ideal, however, as my truck also pulls my car trailer the towing limitations of an electric SUV or Truck means its not realistic in the current market, maybe the long awaited Cybertruck with its claimed 500 mile range will work (250 or less with trailer) but the F150's paltry 125 miles when towing does not fly at all.

 

For me an electric track/race car is very far down my list of things I want to own, I hope it works out for Caterham and I wish them luck but I am not likely to want one anytime soon.

 

My local track does allow EV's during HPDE & time trial events but I suspect that's more out of ignorance of the fire management risk than actual considered policy, certainly as an F&C marshal I have not received any additional training or instruction in managing EV's, I'm not intervention so its possible the tow truck guys have been briefed in more detail though. In F1 & IMSA races the intervention marshals are trained to check the safety lights on the front of the cockpit before touching a car and they are issued with thick rubber gloves to prevent accidental shocks from the hybrid system.

[fastg]

Summit Point allows EV's, charging station in the pits. There was a stripped down Tesla in my group, never caught each other over 2 full days. I spoke to him and his only issue was braking performance. he could not find a pad that would last a full session. 

 

Graham