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HomeMediaLotus releases Evija, proclaims Britain’s first electric ‘hypercar’

Lotus releases Evija, proclaims Britain’s first electric ‘hypercar’

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Calling it “the first all-electric British hypercar,” Lotus has released the Evija that it says will produce around 2,000 horsepower, which would make it “the world’s most powerful series production road car.”

Lotus says the 3,703-pound car, built on carbon-fiber monocoque architecture, sprints to 62 mph in less than three seconds, has a top speed of more than 200 mph and a driving range of 250 miles.

True to Lotus’ mid-engine tradition, the battery pack is mounted midship.

The car is built with what Lotus claims to be the world’s first application of “main and dipped beam laser lighting technology.”

Only 130 examples of the car, known within Lotus as the Type 130, will be produced, beginning in 2020. 

Lotus said Evija is pronounced E-vi-ya and that the names means “the first in existence” or “the living one.”

“The Evija marks the start of an exciting new chapter in the history of an iconic and much-loved British sports car brand,” the company said. “It is the first hypercar from Lotus, and the company’s first model with an electrified powertrain. As the first completely new car to be launched under the stewardship of Geely – the world’s fastest growing automotive group – its significance cannot be overstated.”

“The Lotus Evija is a car like no other,” Lotus Cars chief executive Phil Popham was quoted in the company’s announcement. “It will re-establish our brand in the hearts and minds of sports car fans and on the global automotive stage. It will also pave the way for further visionary models.

“The Evija is a true Lotus in every sense – it has been developed with an unwavering passion to push boundaries, to explore new ways of thinking and to apply ground-breaking technologies.”

Among the car’s design features are “a dramatic Venturi tunnel through each rear quarter.”

“We studied how Le Mans race cars use air flow creatively to go over, under and around the vehicle, but also through it,” said Lotus design director Russell Carr. “This concept of ‘porosity’ is key to the Evija and has enabled us to create a timeless design with exceptional amounts of downforce.”

Each of the tunnels is edged with red light-emitting diodes to create “a string ribbon-style light signature” that Lotus said presents a visual effect like the afterburners on a fighter jet.

Speaking of lighting, the car features laser headlamps produced by Osram. 

“The strikingly thin vertical headlamps provide the perfect balance of crystal-like beauty and a highly technical design,” Lotus said. “Inside the lenses, unique ‘wing-like’ elements form the daytime running lights and directional indicators.”

Interior

The Evija electric powertrain was developed in conjunction with Williams Advanced Engineering, which not only has long history in Formula One but for the last four years in Formula E.

The car will offer five driving modes — Range, City, Tour, Sport and Track.

Prices start at £1.7 million ($2.108 million) with a £250,000 ($310,000) deposit needed to secure one of the 130 to be produced.

 

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Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

1 COMMENT

  1. Please contribute to my GoFundMe account, $1000 or more each, as my life will not be fulfilled until I kill myself trying to make a Bonneville or Pike’s Peak record, or become the ruler of Mulholland Drive. Ever see Dennis Hopper’s "King of the Mountain"? Yeah. Time is speed, speed is time… and I think the time of twisted-tight V12s and turbo 4/6/8/16’s is ending.
    As at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, lo those long decades ago, Lotus just threw- no, slammed the gauntlet down; remember Jim Clark, and the rear-engined revolution?
    If this is done, it’s a landmark in engineering; even if they miss, Elon and all the rest get poked in the eye, and what’s better than competition?
    Fund me- I’ll die destroying it, or trying.
    Bwahahaha!

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