RE: Why Lotus won't be building an SUV - yet

[st4]

hufggfg said:

As an example, the Tesla Model 3 has about 480kgs of batteries I believe. Even if you could somehow do with only half of these, you’re still hugely increasing the weight of an Elise.

Do remember to subtract the weight of an engine, gearbox, etc off the weight of the batteries. There will be a difference but it might not be that much more

[PGNSagaris]

st4 said:

a derivative whites goods PCP porsche.

Clowns who repeat stupidity like this should be tarred and feathered

[lotuslover69]

st4 said:

Do remember to subtract the weight of an engine, gearbox, etc off the weight of the batteries. There will be a difference but it might not be that much more

An ev powered sports car under 1600kgs would be considered lightweight currently, when compared to the current weight of ev powered cars.

[Cold]

unsprung said:

sorry, let me give it a try

my original point was that Lotus may find success in engineering a total package which manages to minimise, if not overcome, some of the issues with mass that are typical of EVs

hufggfg replied that this is "not something that is within Lotus’s capabilities" and that this objective is unachievable because "you're effectively very constrained by the laws of physics."

this argument, I believe, is false because: In making a class-leading post-ICE sports car, Lotus are not restricted to faffing about with the EV powertrain. Their chosen car can be a unique bundle of attributes, capabilities, measurements, and so on. Just one example: Not much of a boot? Not a problem. For the majority of buyers, this post-ICE sports car will not be an everyday driver.

hufggfg also noted that EV Elise would weigh more than today's ICE-powered Elise; this is, I would have thought, obvious to anybody on this thread; it also misses the inflection point -- the historic opportunity: to lead among sports cars that are transitioning away from ICE

you added that Lotus has significant experience in EV development and, therefore, are probably "up to speed" with the specification and build out of contemporary EV powertains; that's good news; I don't see yet any disagreement with that

Ahh, gotcha. I think it's fair to say that cars as we know them are going through a legislation led transition with regards to what makes them move and this will mean various variables varying in future. ()

So the comparison baseline when measuring these variables will only have worth if apples are compared with apples.

It's worth pointing out that the hybrid fuel cell TX4 taxi that Lotus developed about ten years ago came with only a minor weight penalty yet retained its practical properties.

[funt1m3]

While a big fan of technology moving forward (and a big lotus fan) can I please get one last hurrah of an ICE engine with a Mazda mx5 manual gearbox feel'd lotus Elise before going electric pleeeeease

Whilst my experience of bev is limited, the thought of this driving my lotus is not hugely exciting in terms of soul/passion etc.

[Cold]

It's the incoming Euro 7 regs that are going to have a biggest impact on propulsion systems seen for some time and it's unlikely that the imposed emissions targets will be met across a manufacturer's range without the use of (at least) hybrid systems.
I've no idea how Euro 7 will affect small manufacturers with regards to the possibility of exemptions etc.

[Looket]

Project Omega... interesting name.

I'm sure there's nothing to be read into it but Opel Omega, anyone?

[st4]

PGNSagaris said:

Clowns who repeat stupidity like this should be tarred and feathered

It’s factually accurate. Most are bought on PCP and they’re mass produced like all VAG products.

You’re the clown.

[M4CK 1]

I have no problem with Lotus doing an EV but lightweight it will not. Certainly if I had the money to buy a brand new Lotus I want entertainment. Nice revy, throaty engine. Heal and toeing while braking for a corner Feeling manual steering feeding back info on how your working those tyres. There is no fun to hear a motors whining away behind you, with electrically numb steering, with the heavy batteries pushing you into a corner.
Sorry not for me. I still want petrol or LPG to power my Lotus!!

[GranCab]

st4 said:

PGNSagaris said:

Clowns who repeat stupidity like this should be tarred and feathered

In my narrow-minded (Lexus rules) opinion ... It’s factually accurate. Most are bought on PCP and they’re mass produced like all VAG products.

I'm a clown.

There - fixed that for you

p.s. Next time you go and take some photos of a mountain ... stay there.

[anonymous-user]

st4 said:

It’s factually accurate. Most are bought on PCP and they’re mass produced like all VAG products.

You’re the clown.

You do know who owns VW?

[DonkeyApple]

Scoobysaurus said:

rockin said:

Yet another change of direction for Lotus sounds like the death knell to me. There have been too many high hopes followed by a complete lack of delivery. There's been no successful new product for 20 years.

...Geely

I’ve got to admit that I read the article as an announcement that Geely (who after 5 years of absolutely massive global expansion fuelled by enormous debt piles and due to the slowdown in China are currently retrenching) have basically pulled/stalled all the money that was randomly mentioned in earlier press releases. They’ve hired a guy who had a pop at selling fibreglass bathtubs having discovered there was no demand for him in the auto industry but has recently not been doing anything, they’ve seemingly tinned the cheap Lotus SUV for China, stalled the whole SUV aspect of the planned expansion, stalled the new floor pan, stalled the move into EV and are back to a business plan of sticking a different shape shell on top of the same old cars.

This is all fine but this certainly isn’t the great new dawn that Geely were spouting about 12 months ago. It’s just a retrenchment into the same old same old.

And Indo wish Lotus would stop banging on about ‘adding lightness’. They abondoned that mantra years ago and it’s just meaningless marketing guff these days.

[anonymous-user]

It’s easy. Make the Esprit, stop messing around with endless SE’s and keep an eye on EV.

They already have their niche, it just needs to be realised. No doubt needs investment, which will be the undoing.

[cptsideways]

Hows about a modern day electric Seven? No mention of a version of something like this. A few variants & even a city version could be very a popular option.

Keep it simples, range need not be an issue, imaging a cooler Twizzy that's more of a proper sports car?

This sort of thing

Edited by cptsideways on Sunday 17th March 10:30

[DonkeyApple]

yonex said:

It’s easy. Make the Esprit, stop messing around with endless SE’s and keep an eye on EV.

They already have their niche, it just needs to be realised. No doubt needs investment, which will be the undoing.

I tend to agree. If necessary take a 3 pot engine and add a bit of hybrid gubbins for the Town edition and a turbo 4 pot for the Country edition. Make sure it is lighter than the competition, cheaper than the competition and doesn’t look like it’s only worth half what the actual sticker price is.

Lotus were the kings of small CC performance and now the whole world has to move to small CC performance and Lotus has just sat there like gormless numnuts doing absolutely nothing with the global gift horse that they should have been the total masters of. Corporate tool after corporate tool shovelled in by piss poor owners has been much of the brand’s nemesis.

[j_s14a]

lotuslover69 said:

Well the current range of engines geely has at its disposal are

3 cylinder and 4 cylinder engines currently fitted in volvos. Not an unreliable engine but certainly not an exciting one neither.

The 2.0 4 cylinder turbo petrol VEP engine found in current volvos is great, especially in twin charged format (supercharged and turbo charged), and is compact and lightweight. The 3 cylinder derivative sounds really good too, with very pronounced turbo sounds (we've just stared getting these in XC40s).

[kambites]

How much does it weigh?

[PGNSagaris]

st4 said:

PGNSagaris said:

Clowns who repeat stupidity like this should be tarred and feathered

It’s factually accurate. Most are bought on PCP and they’re mass produced like all VAG products.

You’re the clown.

Factually accurate.

Go on then sweetheart, show me the facts?

[unsprung]

Cold said:

various variables varying ()

fun alliteration

and a succinct assessment of our time!

would not be out of place in a parody of that song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

[piper]

M4CK 1 said:

I have no problem with Lotus doing an EV but lightweight it will not. Certainly if I had the money to buy a brand new Lotus I want entertainment. Nice revy, throaty engine. Heal and toeing while braking for a corner Feeling manual steering feeding back info on how your working those tyres. There is no fun to hear a motors whining away behind you, with electrically numb steering, with the heavy batteries pushing you into a corner.
Sorry not for me. I still want petrol or LPG to power my Lotus!!

Absolutely spot on, it still needs to be a drivers car with a manual gearbox and all the tactile involvements that creates the different driving experience to all the other boring cars out there.