2005 Lotus on 2040-cars

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The Lotus Evija is the company’s first all-electric hypercar

Internally known as the Type 130, the new Lotus Evija combines several firsts for the British company into one wild shape. First of all, it’s the companyÂ’s first in-house all-electric car – the Lotus chassis provided to the likes of Tesla for the first Roadster doesnÂ’t count. ItÂ’s also the companyÂ’s first hypercar, claiming an astonishing (and provisional) 1,973 horsepower. Perhaps more importantly, itÂ’s the first all-new car from the company since the Evora, and the first to be conceived entirely under the ownership of ChinaÂ’s Geely. Yup, thatÂ’s a lot of firsts. ItÂ’s not the first EV hypercar – itÂ’ll have competition from the likes of Rimac and the upcoming Pininfarina Battista, plus the next-gen Tesla Roadster assuming that does eventually hit the market – but itÂ’s definitely early on the scene. And just look at it – the styling is wild, incorporating some continuing Lotus themes – particularly around the greenhouse – but with an overall direction thatÂ’s much brasher than the companyÂ’s other products. The deep side sculpting resembles is complex and stylized, as are the rounded, narrow quadrangle taillights supported by a massive rear diffuser. The front is arguably the least distinctive and biggest departure for the company. The verticality of the headlamps seems like a blend of the Ferrari F8 Tributo and the old Lamborghini Gallardo, without really aping either. Look closely and it appears to be an evolution of the shape of the EvoraÂ’s lamps, but without that context fresh in your mind itÂ’ll appear more generic supercar than something uniquely Lotus. The bodywork has some neat party tricks. Active aerodynamics allow for an F1-style Drag Reduction System, and thereÂ’s a deployable rear spoiler. There are no fixed side-mirrors; little cameras deploy from the front fenders and another camera embedded in the rear of the roof provides a rear view. ItÂ’s also different. The extruded, bonded aluminum architecture weÂ’re familiar with from the Elise/Exige line and the similar but unique Evora are gone, replaced by a company-first one-piece carbon fiber monocoque tub. Lotus is targeting a curb weight of approximately 3,700 lbs, and the lightweight tub (just 284 lbs) contributes to that.  The battery is housed behind the seats, and feeds power to four individual motors, providing all-wheel drive and infinitely variable torque vectoring.

Detroit Electric SP:01 electric Lotus project not dead yet

Detroit Electric is still on board to produce the Lotus Exige-based SP:01 electric sports car, which has been delayed more than once already. According to the carmaker, the SP:01 prototype is currently undergoing testing at a facility in Europe, as we can see in the above photo provided by Detroit Electric. Details about the production schedule and on-sale date for the SP:01 are still unclear, but Detroit Electric says it will announce more about that in the coming weeks. Production was originally supposed to begin last year, but was delayed when plans to build the car in Plymouth, MI fell through. Production is now planned to take place in Holland, but there's still potential for future models to be made in Detroit. The company has stated that the SP:01 will come with a base price tag of $135,000. Like the Tesla Roadster, the Detroit Electric SP:01 uses a Lotus chassis. The car's electric motor provides 201 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels, pushing the car to 62 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph. Range on a full charge is said to be more than 180 miles. The SP:01 has been off to a bit of a rocky start, but this bit of news shows there's still life in the project. Let's just hope it all continues smoothly. See what Detroit Electric has to say for itself in the press release below, or check out our original post about the SP:01 for all the details about the car. World's Fastest Production Electric Vehicle Prepares for Launch Detroit Electric, the international electric vehicle manufacturer, is finalising dynamic testing of its SP:01 pure-electric sportscar at a facility in Europe ahead of its introduction in several world markets. The lightweight, two-seat, rear-wheel-drive, open-top sportscar promises to thrill the EV market with its blistering performance and exhilarating dynamics. This latest version of the SP:01 has seen additional development work carried out by Detroit Electric's engineers and designers since a pre-production version of the vehicle was revealed to the media at events in Detroit, USA, and Shanghai, China, last year. Further details of the car and Detroit Electric's production and sales plans will be announced in the coming weeks. Related Gallery Detroit Electric SP:01: Live View 11 Photos Related Gallery Detroit Electric SP:01 View 9 Photos News Source: Detroit Electric Green Lotus Electric prototype testing detroit electric detroit electric sp:01 sp:01

Lotus recalls 2008-2011 Elise, Exige and 2011 Evora over fire fear

Lotus is recalling 860 vehicles after discovering that the oil cooler hose could detach from its fitting. Should the hose separate, it could spray oil on one of the lightweight car's tires, giving new meaning to the phrase "sudden loss of grip." The other case is, believe or not, more dire, as the spraying oil could hit the engine and ignite. Of course, neither situation is desirable, hence the recall.
The vast majority of the affected vehicles (780 of the 860) are the 2008 to 2011 Elise and Exige, built between November 2007 and July 2011. Another 80 Evora S coupes from 2011, manufactured between September 2010 and September 2011, are also included in the recall.
All repairs will, naturally, be completed free of charge. In the Elise/Exige's case, that means replacing the hose fittings, while the affected Evoras will get a new hose assembly.