Japanese engineering firm Tokyo R&D is developing a prototype that will be completed by mid-2025
- Caterham will work with Yamaha to develop the Project V sports car.
- Tokyo R&D is developing a prototype that will be ready by mid-2025.
- The launch of this electric sports car is likely to be delayed until after 2026.
Caterham has announced a partnership with Yamaha Motor to develop an all-electric powertrain for the Project V sports car. The model was launched in concept form at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and although its launch may be delayed until after 2026, series production is imminent.
Yamaha will supply the prototype with “cutting-edge” electronic axles, helping Caterham take its new model into the next stage of development. The “lightweight and compact electric powertrain” is said to be true to the Caterham model’s DNA. Yamaha will also provide its technology and expertise in “vehicle motion control.”
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The concept car is equipped with a rear-mounted electric motor producing 268 hp (200 kW/272 hp). Caterham made no mention of the output of the Yamaha electric axle, which is likely to be in line with original specs. After all, the 2022 Subaru STI E-RA concept is equipped with four Yamaha electric motors, each producing 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS).
According to initial estimates last year, Project V could accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in just 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph). The lithium-ion battery pack has a capacity of 55 kWh, has a target WLTP range of 249 miles (400 km), and supports DC charging of up to 150 kW.
Caterham has also appointed Japanese engineering firm Tokyo R&D to build the Project V prototype, which the British carmaker aims to have ready by mid-2025.
The company originally hoped to put Project V into production by 2026, but that goal appears to have been moved. Speaking to Autocar, Caterham CEO Bob Laishley said he did not want to speculate on the production date of the electric sports car, adding that “2026 will be a challenge”.
Laishley revealed that Caterham has yet to decide where Project V will be produced and the car will not be produced at the Dartford plant in the UK. Caterham is part of VT Holdings, a Nagoya, Japan-based investment group that owns several car dealers and importers.
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