Lotus has revealed images and hinted at some specifications of its four-door GT car, the Emeya. Although the company has seen its tiny market share regress recently, with sales now well under 1000 cars per year, the dramatic Emeya EV could be a resurgence catalyst.
Lotus controlling shareholder, Geely, has access to China’s advanced EV battery pack supply chain and could provide the costing structure to help position future Lotus EVs competitively, despite the brand’s low production volumes.
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For a brand with the engineering and design legacy of Lotus, the transition to EVs should be less challenging, in theory. Lotus has always been hugely adaptable regarding its integration of technology and powertrains, staffed by some of the best engineers in the automotive industry.
Lotus also prioritizes lightness and clever packaging as design principles and has been doing this for decades. As many legacy car companies struggle with the issue of repackaging their vehicle platforms for EVs, or designing new architectures, the agility and quality of engineering resources available at Lotus could become telling.
Although battery specification and exact electric motor ratings remain unconfirmed, Lotus says the Emeya is being developed to deliver exceptional performance, on theme with the brand’s storied history of sportscars.
The targeted acceleration metric is 0-60mph in only 2.8 seconds, with a top speed limited to 155mph. A sizeable battery pack will be required to achieve those numbers and the range claim of more than 310 miles. The brand’s Eletre EV, revealed last year, features a 100kWh battery pack, and it is unlikely the Emeya will be assembled with anything smaller.
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Lotus engineers and designers have collaborated to create a distinctive shape and presence for Emeya while enhancing as many aerodynamic properties as possible. The rear wing generates 215kg of downforce, and an active aft diffuser enhances tracking stability at higher speeds.
With four doors and a luxury cabin architecture, Lotus is positioning its new grand touring EV in a market segment where Audi’s E-tron GT and the Porsche Taycan are notable rivals.
