Lotus teases new electric sports car with stylised outline

Lotus has used a battery collaboration announcement this week to reveal a first look at its next electric sports offering, following the monstrous and exclusive Evija.

The stylised vector sketch is accompanied by no details, but it does at least show fans what to expect from the new model – known for now as the Type 135.

There are some clear styling cues from the iconic Esprit to be seen here, along with a hint of Europa at the rear.

Regardless of its design themes, the new model will effectively act as a successor to the Elise, with the new Emira confirmed to be the brand's last internal-combustion offering.

This new sports car isn't expected to debut until the far off future of 2026, with new SUVs and a four-door coupe expected to beat it to market.

The Type 135 will be built in Hethel, in the UK, while the brand's nw passenger models will be built in China – as detailed here in September 2021.

The new electric sports Lotus is anticipated to offer single- and dual-motor arrangements, suggesting rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. Outputs are expected to vary from 350kW to a huge 650kW.

As for its battery announcement, Lotus has confirmed it will work with compatriot Britishvolt to co-develop a new battery cell package for its upcoming range of family and sports cars.

Mike Stevens

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September 21, 2021: Lotus shows off electric sports car platform, previews future Alpine

Lotus has unveiled its new modular electric vehicle (EV) platform, set to underpin its forthcoming battery-powered models.

As part of its new EV line-up, teased earlier this month, Lotus is proceeding with a new battery-powered sports car – developed in collaboration with French brand Alpine and manufactured in the UK.

The British firm says the rear subframe is 37 per cent lighter than the equivalent structure found on the recently-unveiled Lotus Emira – the company’s last petrol-powered model.

With relatively minor changes, the new platform can be changed to suit three different types of two-door bodies. Varying configurations can accommodate either single or twin electric motors, and a choice of two battery packs with up to 66.4kWh or 99.6kWh of capacity.

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While the 99.6kWh is just a theoretical maximum, the battery size would almost match that found in the Tesla Model S Plaid.

The vehicle architecture can be used with either a single electric motor producing a maximum of 350kW, or a dual-motor set-up pumping out up to 650kW.

“Rather than developing a single vehicle, it means [we] now [have] the ‘blueprint’ for the next generation of electric sports cars, for future products and for the Lotus Engineering consultancy to commercialise,” Lotus engineering director Richard Moore said.

“The electric sports car architecture [is the] perfect [illustration] of the innovation, which continues to be at the heart of everything Lotus does.”

Both two-seater layouts – offering either a shorter wheelbase with smaller battery and single motor, or a longer wheelbase with a larger unit and a twin setup – use a ‘chest’ configuration, in which the batteries are mounted behind the occupants.

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The third option is a 2+2 layout – with a second row of seats – which uses a ‘slab’ configuration, where the battery is mounted under the floor “for vehicles where a higher ride height and a taller overall profile is required”.

It’s likely the ‘slab’ skateboard-like platform will be adopted for the future four-door Lotus coupe – designed to compete directly with the Porsche Taycan.

As Renault’s newly-minted performance arm, Alpine is set to deliver three fully-electric models in 2024 – one of which will be the A110’s replacement, co-developed with Lotus – while the latter's electric coupe isn’t due until 2026.