Caterham and Yamaha to partner for Project V electric sports coupe

Yamaha is joining Caterham as a development partner, providing an electric powertrain for the all-new electric sports coupe, Project V.

Initially unveiled as a concept car with appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Tokyo Auto Salon, Caterham will now look to bring Project V to the market. The team effort will stick to Caterham’s lightweight, simplistic DNA but benefit from a boost in power thanks to Yamaha’s lightweight e-axle technology as well as its expertise in ‘vehicle motion control’.

A prototype is already in development with proven OEM engineering specialists Tokyo R&D, and is set to be completed in mid-2025. From there, it could head into full production by the end of 2025, under a different name to Project V. The whole project will be overseen by Japanese-based brand owner VT Holdings.

This isn’t Caterham’s only EV venture, having recently revealed the EV Seven, its concept which the brand said would be “equally at home on the road and the race track.” The concept is powered by a 52kWh, 240bhp powertrain giving it a 0-60mph time of 4 seconds and top speed of 130mph.

Bob Laishely, CEO of Caterham Cars said at the time, “Any future EV model we produce must be true to the DNA of a Caterham: lightweight, fun-to-drive and driver-focused. The main objective for this project is to develop a vehicle with a weight delta of no more than the equivalent of having a passenger on board.”

When originally unveiled, the Project V’s numbers came in at 268bhp, 55kWh and a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds. Can Yamaha improve on this? It will certainly be interesting to watch its development over the next year.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: Caterham Cars