RE: Lotus confirms electric hypercar for 2020

[Water Fairy]

I would have thought Lotus would be better off putting their time and money into an Elise replacement personally.

[Maldini35]

Water Fairy said:

I would have thought Lotus would be better off putting their time and money into an Elise replacement personally.

Much as I’d love to see that, there’s just no money in it.
Margins too low and market too niche.
A hyper EV that showcases their talent for future volume EV/hybrid models makes more sense from a business perspective.

Might be the time to buy a good Elise as I’m not sure there will be another.

[Type45]

"Great minds think alike", eh? From what I've heard it's often the same minds, as the engineers circulate between Hethel, Woking and Gaydon.

[The Vambo]

Type45 said:

From what I've heard it's often the same minds, as the engineers circulate between Hethel, Woking and Gaydon.

Do engineers have a bad sense of direction and just drive between three towns?

Is it a test route like the Evo triangle?

[Jellinek]

Ironically I watched an owners 2 month review of his Evora 400 yesterday and he explained how, if he left it for more than a week, the battery went flat. Also, the filler cap wouldn’t latch even after multiple attempts on some occasions.
Here’s hoping they’ve fixed those two little quirks on this one.

[RobDickinson]

It's crazy to think over a decade ago someone put batteries and an electric motor into an Elise and shown what you could do yet lotus can't do the same?

[lotuslover69]

RobDickinson said:

It's crazy to think over a decade ago someone put batteries and an electric motor into an Elise and shown what you could do yet lotus can't do the same?

Didn't lotus help build the Tesla Roadster and also built a Fully Electric Evora prototype. I am sure they could if they wanted to but why would they make an Electric Elise? it makes no sense.

[Tuna]

RobDickinson said:

It's crazy to think over a decade ago someone put batteries and an electric motor into an Elise and shown what you could do yet lotus can't do the same?

Lotus have done everything from multi-fuel engines to battery hybrids in their engineering group. Their road cars are more conservative in their power trains.

On the plus side, I think Lotus has made more money over the last decade than Tesla.

[Kolbenkopp]

Pulse00 said:

Now all I want is Arial to build an electric atom. Would be immense

Well at least the naming issue would be pretty obvious to solve .

[Kolbenkopp]

Ryvita said:

I'm sorry, a MOTORISED fuel filler cap...? Place your bets on the lightness weight now.

You can pretty much forget "light is right" with EVs. Or rather the mantra needs a big shift of reference point. That's unfortunately one of the downsides with current EVs and battery tech. If they want even a bit of range / performance from the type 130, there's at least 600 kg worth of batteries in there. The drive train alone will likely weigh as much as complete Elise...

[GTEYE]

I’d like to see Lotus build something a bit more....relevant

[tr3a]

GTEYE said:

I’d like to see Lotus build something a bit more....relevant

Relevant to what? Car enthusiasts, on the whole, living with their backs to the future?

[kambites]

I think after this an electric Boxster competitor would be a good move. Something like £60k for 60kwh, 300bhp and 1400kg should be achievable?

Edited by kambites on Saturday 1st June 10:13

[RobDickinson]

Tuna said:

On the plus side, I think Lotus has made more money over the last decade than Tesla.

https://www.thedrive.com/sheetmetal/13412/lotus-turns-a-profit-for-the-first-time-in-years

£2 million profit in 2017 (first in many years), £800,000 last year. Lotus isnt the car company you want to point at for profits.

They part built the 2008 tesla roadster, then forgot about it whilst tesla built a multi billion company. Honestly they were well placed to break into the market but are now years behind rimac etc.

[Tuna]

RobDickinson said:

https://www.thedrive.com/sheetmetal/13412/lotus-tu...

£2 million profit in 2017 (first in many years), £800,000 last year. Lotus isnt the car company you want to point at for profits.

They part built the 2008 tesla roadster, then forgot about it whilst tesla built a multi billion company. Honestly they were well placed to break into the market but are now years behind rimac etc.

Oh yes, Lotus have been on the edge for decades. Tesla on the other hand has lost $9 billion over the last ten years.

In cash terms, Lotus is healthier

Lotus is run as an ongoing car and engineering firm, Tesla is a stock gamble. I'm pretty certain Lotus will be around in ten years time.

You have to understand that their engineering and road car operations are separate concerns. You can't really judge how far ahead or behind they are from the (ten year old) models the road car division sells. There are very few manufacturers around at the moment who don't have some sort of Lotus engineering connection. After they 'forgot about' the Roadster, they produced hybrid demonstrators for Nissan and have consulted with a number of other manufacturers on exotic drive trains.

This car is going to be interesting as it sounds like it'll be the first 'technical demonstrator' they've produced since the Elise introduced glued and bonded aluminium structures.

[Cold]

tr3a said:

GTEYE said:

I’d like to see Lotus build something a bit more....relevant

Relevant to what? Car enthusiasts, on the whole, living with their backs to the future?

An SUV is the obvious answer. But then PH would melt under the weight of "core value" quotes.

[Kolbenkopp]

kambites said:

I think after this an electric Boxster competitor would be a good move. Something like £60k for 60kwh, 300bhp and 1400kg should be achievable?

Yep, agree that would be ace. Numbers should work as well, one could almost make that work by using a standard range model 3 and selling the extra bits for parts .

[Gandahar]

Name wise surely it has to be called the Lotus Erectron?

Will Geely get the joke?

[SpudLink]

Gandahar said:

Name wise surely it has to be called the Lotus Erectron?

Will Geely get the joke?

You mean like the Mitsubishi Starion?

Edit: we are straying into dangerous waters.

[T-195]

RobDickinson said:

It's crazy to think over a decade ago someone put batteries and an electric motor into an Elise and shown what you could do yet lotus can't do the same?

Why would they want to?