Yamaha partners Caterham to develop new electric sports coupe

Yamaha Motor Co has announced its partnership in the development of a new electric sports coupe, referred to as 'Project V,' being led by Caterham EVo, a UK-based subsidiary of VT Holdings Co,  headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The collaboration aims to advance the project toward mass production and commercialization.

Project V is a development project for an electric sports coupe that inherits Caterham's DNA, which prioritizes driving pleasure with the principles of light-weight, simple and fun-to-drive. Caterham initially unveiled the concept car for Project V at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK in July 2023 and later at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2024. Currently, in collaboration with Tokyo R&D Co, they are progressing with the development and production of a prototype vehicle, targeting completion around mid-2025, with a view toward mass production and commercialization.

Yamaha Motor is independently developing the e-axle, a key component of the electric powertrain, and will supply its trial model for the prototype. In terms of vehicle motion control, Yamaha will also provide the technologies and expertise.

Yamaha Motor, which has set a companywide environmental goal to achieve carbon neutrality in Scope 3 emissions by 2050, is engaged in the development of advanced small and lightweight electric powertrains, which is the company's strength. In March 2024, the Japanese major announced its entry into the Formula E World Championship.