As we know, Colin Chapman's philosophy was 'Simplify, then add lightness.' And Lotus has just signed a memorandum of understanding with battery cell specialist Britishvolt to maintain that objective as it heads towards its all-electric future. Lotus has committed itself to morphing from a UK sports car company to a 'global, all-electric performance car brand.' That's a challenge for a company rightly obsessed with low weight. Lithium-ion car batteries are hefty items - just look at the 2.4-tonne Porsche Taycan as evidence of that.
That's where this agreement with Britishvolt comes in. The newcomer sees itself as Britain's foremost investor in the research and development of battery cell technology. Its skills are in low-carbon, sustainably manufactured lithium-ion battery technology, for use in both electric transportation and sustainable energy storage. A key objective of this partnership will be producing fast-charging batteries, as well as optimising their energy density to reduce weight - which will be essential to something as sleek and low as the new sports car hinted at in Lotus's design sketch.
The two companies have sites in the West Midlands, which is seen as the UK's 'golden triangle' of battery excellence, and that should benefit logistics. The Lotus Advanced Technology Centre (LATC) opened in Wellesbourne in 2020, which is also the global headquarters of Lotus Engineering's consultancy division. It's part of a £100-million investment that also involved its manufacturing centre at Hethel - where the Emira sports car and Evija pure electric hypercar will be built. The Evija will become the first British electric hypercar when deliveries commence later this year.
Meanwhile, Britishvolt's global headquarters is based at a 5,000-square-metre facility at the MIRA Technology Park Campus near Coventry. Late last year it also gained planning for its Gigafactory in Northumberland. This site is on the former Blyth Power Station coal stocking yard, located in Cambois. It's slated to have a total capacity of over 30GWh by the end of the decade. It will also employ directly around 3,000 highly skilled people, plus over 5,000 more in the associated supply chains.
Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars, commented: "Lotus is delighted to be collaborating with Britishvolt to develop new battery cell technology to showcase the thrilling performance that a Lotus EV sports car can deliver. These are the first exciting steps on the journey towards an all-new electric sports car from Lotus, and yet another step towards the transformation towards sustainable, renewable electricity stored in batteries."
He added, "Last year we committed Lotus to a pure electric future, and in the first month of this year we announce another significant step on that journey. In the coming months we will be unveiling the Type 132, an all-new and all-electric Lotus SUV and we've confirmed three more EVs are on the way."
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