Just joined + mad question...

[Simon]

Hi I've just joined so thought I'd say 'hello'! I also have a bit of a long shot question...

Has anyone put an electric motor in a Caterham?

Yes, I know, it's sacrilege ... I have owned two Caterhams, including an early 90s HPC. I've also raced (single seaters and tin tops) around most UK tracks, Spa and Nurburgring, so fear not, I'm a dedicated petrolhead! But now I've just moved to California from the UK I'm intrigued and might even try it as an experiment. Any idea?

Also, when's the next event/get together? It would be great to come along, see the cars and meet a few of you.

Finally, there don't seem to be any used Caterhams for sale - I've looked on the site and the forum. Is the only way to build one yourself from a new kit (which I'm up for) or do any pre-owned cars get bought and sold complete?

Sorry for all the naive questions. Any help welcome. Cheers for now,

Simon

[slomove]

Used Caterhams and other brands are sold regularly, check also the other relevant web sites. But it is no Ford Focus and maybe right now there is nothing on the market. It may take a few months to find what fits your needs.

There was an electric Birkin somewhere and I believe Westfield is working on an official electric version. I would not be surprised if Caterham is thinking about it, too. But right now it is still a bit exotic and unpractical (not to say very expensive). It would definitely need a lot of engineering and related expertise.

[Doug Liedblad]

Check the for sale section and view threads up to two months back, or more. There were two or three for sale on this site. I don't know if they have sold or not.

Also check Caterham USA and their other dealers.

Another place is LOONY Lotus Owners Of New York

Several for sale there. http://www.lotusowners.com/

[magnusfeuer]

Hello Simon, and welcome to the club.

A quick google brings up at least one attempt on an electric seven:
http://green.autoblog.com/2008/04/29...power-and-lig/

I'm sure there are more. The weight penalty seems a bit prohibitive at the moment, but I'm sure that it will come down during the next five years or so as electrical vehicles become mainstream.

/Magnus F.

[magnusfeuer]

And here is the Birkin that Gert mentioned:

http://www.electric7.com/

/Magnus F.

[soareyes]

Simon, check out http://www.acpropulsion.com/ for a motor/controller unit that is basically plug and play. AC Propulsion is based out of San Dimas here in S. California. The electric MINI E that I drove for a year was a conversion using this unit and it performed very well, with performance on par with a gas engined Cooper S. It would be best to stick with lighter lithium based batteries. Unfortunately, as Gert said, it will be a very expense conversion, but prices will come down in time.

Stan
My year with the Mini E:
http://web.me.com/soareyes/Stans_Min...ni_E_Blog.html

[V-Robb]

Hi Simon,
I'm close by in Burbank so I'm sure we'll meet up sooner rather than later. Perhaps even this long weekend. Looking forward to seeing what you end up doing...
Cheers,
Robert.

[Simon]

Thanks for all the quick replies and for the welcome :) all very useful and kicked me off on how to investigate the EV idea further, as well as where to search to buy. I'll look out for the next get together of a few Caterhams and hope to see you there. Cheers for now, Simon.

[do_superlight]

Simon,

Welcome! I've recently joined myself, and I can tell you there is a core group of dedicated, friendly and incredibly helpful owners here.

I've been on the fence about selling my 2001 Superlight with 2.0l Zetec and 6 speed, so I don't have an ad in the for sale section at this time. If you're interested, send me a PM and we can discuss.

Dave