Electric Seven on the charge!

The pace of a Caterham has always been enough to shock, but now it will be really electric!

The British maker has announced that it’s set to build electric and hybrid versions of its famous two-seater.

While there are no details yet of the power outputs or the technology supplier, boss Ansar Ali has said a battery pack and electric motor will fit under the long bonnet with no appreciable increase in weight.

The electric cars will debut in a one-make race series in 2011, before joining the current range of Ford-powered roadsters in dealers.

Battery costs always inflate prices, but the electric models could slot in beneath the range-topping £40,500 CSR Superlight.

At that price, the Caterham EV would have few rivals.

The Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster weighs in at more than twice as much, while the planned electric version of Audi’s R8 will top £100,000. Honda’s tamer CR-Z hybrid, due in 2010, will provide some stiff financial competition, at an expected £20,000 – but it’s unlikely to match a Caterham’s thrills.

In the meantime, the firm looks set to add to its range by introducing a new entry-level CSR variant. At the Tokyo Motor Show, the wraps came off the CSR 175, which uses the same 175bhp 2.0-litre Duratec engine as the Seven Roadsport.

It’s billed as a Japan-only car, but the CSR has been certified to meet European standards, which insiders claim hints at a future addition to the range here.

As well as a more sophisticated independent double wishbone suspension set-up than the Seven line-up, the CSR gets a plusher interior.

Three versions of the car are sold in the UK at the moment, all powered by a 2.3-litre Cosworth engine. But by using the 2.0-litre unit, the 175 could undercut the current £33,995 entry price to below £30,000.