First Official Pictures of Project V Prototype

Caterham has released the first official images of its Project V working prototype, giving a clearer view of the company’s move into electric sports cars. The photos, shared following the car's public debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon, seem to show it looking pretty much production-ready.

The new car is a fully electric coupé designed from the ground up, which Caterham said would enter production in late 2025. That date may have come and gone, although as the new pictures show, it’s safe to say progress is still very much ongoing. While the company has not confirmed final specifications or volumes, it is touting a handful of performance metrics, like a 0-60 time of sub five seconds, a 143mph top speed, and a usable range of 249 miles. While that won’t make it the fastest EV on the road, by quite some stretch, it may just become one of the best-looking.

The car uses a single rear-mounted electric motor, rated at 200kW (272PS), driving the rear wheels. Power comes from a 47kWh USOC lithium-ion battery pack with active thermal management. Rapid charging at 150kW DC is said to take the battery from 20–80 per cent in around 15 minutes.

Caterham says the 2+1 prototype targets a kerb weight of 1,190kg, which is achieved using a carbon fibre and aluminium composite chassis. As it’s a Caterham’s a big focus is on weight reduction, not something that goes hand in hand with creating a battery-powered coupe.

The images reveal a minimalist yet nicely finished cabin, with a central infotainment display with smartphone mirroring, sitting alongside a digital instrument cluster. The prototype uses a 2+2 seating layout, while driving modes encompass Normal, Sport, and Sprint, with each adjusting acceleration and steering settings.

The first working prototype images mark the clearest indication yet of how Caterham intends to translate its lightweight ethos into an electric sports car, with the photos showing that the concept is moving beyond early design studies toward a tangible road-ready package.

And not a minute too soon.